Harry Potter and The Rebellion of the Mudbloods
by Karthik S
Summary: Voldemort visits by Privet Drive, see whether Harry escapes this time. See how Voldemort captures Azkaban right under Dumbledore's nose, while Harry sees it all. Find out who was the spy in the Order. Post OOTP. Ch 1-11 posted. HHr
1. An Unexpected Visitor

Chapter 1. An unexpected visitor

_"Kill the spare". A swishing noise followed and a second voice, which screeched the words to the night "Avada Kedavra". A blast of green light blazed through Harry's eyelids, and he heard something heavy fall to the ground beside him, the pain in his scar reached such a pitch that he retched, and then it diminished, terrified of what he was about to see, he opened his stinging eyes._

_Cedric was lying spread-eagled on the ground beside him._

_Next he saw Wormtail becoming a rat, and escaping into the darkness. Harry felt a fresh wave of anger at that man who had put all his friends into danger resulting in the death of Harry's parents and Sirius being labelled as a murderer besides murdering twelve innocent people while faking his own death. As the scene advanced Lupin transformed into a werewolf and bounded into the forest, followed by a transformed Sirius. The scene slowly faded away as the Grim disappeared into the distance._

_Next Harry found himself in a room. He heard load swishing voices and looked downwards. Kingsley, Tonks, Lupin, Moody … Sirius were battling with a bunch of death-eaters. "The Department of Mysteries", thought Harry. Kingsley was warding off two death-eaters, Lucius Malfoy and Avery. Harry turned to look towards his Godfather. Sirius was battling with Bellatrix. He ducked to avoid a red spurt of light from Bellatrix's wand._

_'Come on, you can do better than that!' he yelled, his voice echoing around the huge room. The second jet of light hit him squarely on the chest. The laughter had not quite died from his face, but his eyes widened in shock. Harry watched in horror as Sirius leaned backwards and fell windswept, into the veil._

"**NO**". Harry woke up with a jerk, feeling very cold and stiff, with his scar thudding against his head. Blinking, he put on his glasses and looked around shaking profusely. It, suddenly dawned on him that he was covered with sweat and his left hand was on his scar.

"Curse me! Cedric, Sirius, my parents dead thanks to my stupidity", thought Harry miserably.

_"Really"_, countered another voice in his head. _"Crying over spilt potion, aren't you?"_

"I couldn't save them", argued Harry. "I led them to their death".

_"You didn't want to kill them, why couldn't you save them?"_, argued the voice.

Harry retorted, "I didn't know what to do. I was helpless".

_"Exactly, you never knew because you never took your schooling seriously, you are too smart to study, huh?"._

Harry countered, "NO, I never knew about the prophecy, no one told me that Voldemort could read my mind".

_"But you **knew** Voldemort was after you, didn't you?, forgotten your past experiences **so soon**?", said the voice mockingly_.

"Damn that stupid prophecy". _"Oh, the prophecy governs your life Potter, besides you do have many friends who love you, don't you?. Face It"_

"It is due to me that he was reborn", Harry said aloud.

_"Well, your blood was not a compulsion. Since you effected his rebirth, isn't it proper that you strive to bring about his end"_.

Harry now felt sick. He had never really bothered about his studies. True, Sirius was his past, his parents … he had never known them. Shifting his thoughts, he had Lupin to whom he had taken a liking, Hermione and Ron who were his best friends, the Weasleys, his other friends at Hogwarts, Tonks, Moody, Dumbledore and the other Members of the Order. It was useless to cry over the past, the dead could not be revived, it was his future and on his future, the future of the wizarding world was at stake, too.

Harry decided, that it was time he got more serious about his schooling, the time to prove himself had neared. _"Voldemort will pay, I will not let him touch any of my friends, He has to be done for once and for all"_.

Looking furiously around him, his eyes fell upon the result of the 5th year exams conducted at Hogwarts. It read

Transfiguration - _Outstanding_

Charms - _Exceeds Expectations_

Herbology - _Exceeds Expectations_

_Defense against the Dark Arts - OutStanding + 1 bonus_

_Care of Magical Creatures - Outstanding_

_History Of Magic - Acceptable_

_Astronomy - Acceptable_

_Divination - Poor_

_Potions - Outstanding_

_Total - 10 O.W.L._

"Well, Good-Bye Trelawney", smiled Harry.

_"I will do much better in future" Harry looked resolute_.

"Neither Ron nor Hermione have written to me all summer, wonder why?" Harry thought aloud, as he picked up his latest copy of the Daily Prophet, which had arrived by owl post some days back. The Daily Prophet was one of the newspapers published by the wizarding world. His thoughts were interrupted by a soft hooting from above his head, Hedwig. "Uh-oh, morning Hedwig, you must be hungry. I'll get you something". So saying Harry scooted off his bed, towards the kitchen.

Once in the living room, Harry surveyed the scene in front of his eyes. Uncle Vernon was seated in a sofa reading a paper, Dudley wasn't around, "Probably, troubling some innocent kid with his goons", snorted Harry, some murmuring was heard from the kitchen, mostly Aunt Petunia grumbling about _someone_, _"Possibly me", wondered Harry_.

"Hello, Uncle Vernon", Harry greeted his uncle sweetly, getting a glare in return after which his uncle decided to read the paper. Harry somehow managed to suppress a grin, which was starting to creep up on his face. The **Moody** factor was probably **still very** effective.

_At the end of the previous year, Tonks, Moody, Lupin and Mr. Weasley had had a **chat** with Harry's uncle near the __London__ Railway Station before seeing him off. In the ensuing conversation, Moody's eerie display of his magical eye and an accompanying warning had his uncle think twice about Harry. Harry had returned the favor by sending a letter to the Order once every week (he had them agree on it first), stating that he was out of trouble._

_The last time Uncle Vernon had yelled at him, Harry had simply rotated his eyes, mimicking Moody and the message had gone through. Since, then his relatives would keep a reasonable distance from him. Since then he never had much trouble as such from the Dursleys._

Remembering Hedwig, Harry marched to the kitchen, greeted his aunt, grabbed some food for him and his owl, savored the look on her face and trooped back to his cupboard, apparently satisfied. Entering his cupboard Harry let Hedwig out of her cage grinning savagely, "How about the two of us having a trip down". On second thoughts he decided against it, _"There is always another day"_. Hedwig fluttered her wings and sat down on Harry's bed, starting her breakfast.

Meanwhile, Harry had drifted off into a nap. He was having quite a time as he remembered how he and Hermione had rescued his Godfather from the clutches of the Ministry, saving Ginny from the Basilisk, Winning the first game of Quidditch,_ A Dead Cedric …_ .Harry had had enough but he couldn't wake up. The dreams continued, causing too much pain, his scar was now prickling, _Sirius falling through the veil … Bellatrix laughing … the ensuing fight between Dumbledore and Voldemort … Voldemort standing over three dead Dursleys._

His scar now burned fiercely, waking Harry from his trance. "This couldn't be, I've just seen them down, I WONT LET THEM DIE", thought Harry fiercely. Hedwig sensing something was wrong, flew onto Harry's shoulder. In a split second Harry had grabbed his wand and rushed down, with one hand rubbing his forehead, to the living room. He ran down the creaking stairs taking three at a time. Once in the living room, he paused to get his breath.

Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia were standing in front, eyeing him, both looking stumped, Dudley Dursley was sitting on the sofa, now looking away from the TV, at him.

"What do we have here?" growled Uncle Vernon, regaining his senses (as if he had any). "Did you think we are DEAF?". Dudley snorted, "Dad probably he's waiting for 'Cedric'". If Harry looked surprised, he didn't show it, he had always been sure that Dudley had an I.Q. worse than a pig, besides, he could smell trouble coming. He replied, "No, I – I stumbled on the stairs, while coming down", in a smallest possible voice. His uncle looked ready to strangle him. "Sorry, I scared you", said Harry in what he thought was a piteous tone, hoping this would be done over with. Dudley having noticed Harry's wand exactly at this inopportune moment, spluttered, "Dad - **DAD**, he's got that … **YOU KNOW WHAT** … in his hand". 

"Ah, trying to sneak away, aren't you, Well, WHAT ARE YOU UP TO? ANSWER ME QUICK", bellowed Uncle Vernon, his eyes bulging. "WHAT DOES THAT IMPLY?", "SPEAK UP NOW". A short pause occurred.

_"He shut up quickly enough, surprising!"_ thought Harry. Looking up he found Aunt Petunia looking at his uncle, whose lips seemed to have sealed themselves, _"Interesting"_, thought Harry. "Is it about Voldemort?" snapped his Aunt. Now it was a bewildered Harry looking at his Aunt, his mouth seemed to have been stuffed. She seemed to have noticed since she continued, "Having nightmares again, aren't you?" Dumbly, Harry nodded in the affirmative. "Tell me". Unable to meet her eyes, Harry related the nightmare looking down at the floor. "SO THAT'S YOUR ..." Aunt Petunia silenced her husband with another look. Harry unsure of what could be coming next simply stared at the floor. His scar had begun to itch too.

"You know about the Ancient charm put on this house, don't you?"

A thunderstruck Harry nodded dumbly, _"How the hell does she know about the charm, possibly Dumbledore told …** Of course**, the howler …_

"As long as you are in this house no one can hurt you" and so Aunt Petunia launched into a long lecture. Harry did not take a word though he was reminded of _"Professor Binns"_. Professor Binns was the teacher who taught History of Magic at Hogwarts and was a ghost.

"**So we are stuck with you, GOT IT**?"

Harry, shaken out of his reverie, immediately launched into a flurry of questions.

"How do you know ..." started Harry.

"Be Quiet".

"When did Dumbledore ..."

"Silence", snapped his Aunt again.

"The nightmare seemed too real"

"NO IT IS NOT AND WILL NEVER BE, NOW KEEP YOUR DIRTY HAND ON THE FLOOR AND **SHUT UP**", roared Vernon Dursley, having found his voice.

"**Don't get your hopes up, Dursley?**"

All the Dursleys froze to the floor. _"Yet another nightmare"_ so hoping Harry turned around, red hot pain seared through his scar, just as Voldemort became visible, temporarily de-mobilizing him and he stumbled onto the ground, one hand on the floor, with his wand and the other on his scar.

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Modified

1. Added Charms to Harry's result (courtesy reviewer Mudblood-Bane)


	2. Voldemort's Plan

Chapter 2. Voldemort's Plans

At 12, Grimmauld Place, there was a lot of silence in the room, partly due to the death of Sirius Black and **The Order** had received some news. Hermione was also present with the Weasleys, besides the other Order members, minus Percy and _Sirius_. The atmosphere was very tense.

It had all started with an emergency and all the Order Members had apparated to Grimmauld Place, very fast. Since Hermione, Ron, Fred and George wanted to come too, The Weasleys (except Arthur Weasley) alongwith Hermione had traveled by the Floo Network.

All, the Order Members had arrived by now. Once Dumbledore had come, all the Order Members had gone into a huddle in the Drawing Room. Generally, at least Tonks or Lupin would occasionally mix with them noted Ginny. The meeting was probably very important since even Tonks was quite serious, and silent. Finally, none of the Order Members had even come out of the room for the past ½ hour.

Hermione, Ron, Ginny, even Fred and George were left out of the meeting.

Ron and Ginny were playing Exploding Snap. Hermione was as usual reading _A History of Magic_, her favorite. Fred and George had gone _vowing to break into their defenses_ ten minutes ago, still there was no sign of them.

In short, no one had any inkling or idea of what was going on.

"What the hell are they hiding today?" muttered Ron absolutely exasperated. "Yeah I would like to know too" said Hermione worriedly, throwing down the book. Her logical thinking, had told her that something surely linked very nearly to Voldemort was the source of the problem, any further, she was in darkness just as anyone. _"Could it be Harry?"_ Hermione shuddered at the thought. Blinking her eyes, she noticed Ron looking at her, his brows curved in worry. Probably, he was having the same thought. _"No, it should be something else …"_.

"Hey, you two, Hermione … HERMIONE, RON". That was Ginny, bearing a raised eyebrow.

Apparently, they had been staring at each other for quite some time. On realizing it, both of them blushed and turned away.

"Could that be about You-Know-Who?" That was Ginny again looking slightly flustered. Ron jerked awake "Say **Voldemort** Ginny, What do you think Hermione?" "Possible", Hermione was quite surprised at Ron daring _"Could be due to Harry's company"_, still she had started pondering again when approaching footsteps were heard _clip clop clip clop_. The twins, Fred and George turned around the corner and were approaching them, muttering excitedly. Both of them had electric blue colored robes on with their trademark Boots of Dragon-hide.

"So do we have the answers to their questions?" asked Fred with a mischievous smile pointing to the trio. George simply grinned, showing their Extendable ears.

"Yeah you do, SPIT IT OUT" yelled Ron, Hermione and Ginny together, jumping to their feet. "Well, we better take a seat George, shouldn't we?" "Hmm, that would be better" The five were now seated. "So out with it" Hermione ordered them.

"It was Snape, he called the meeting" said Fred stopping to see the effect. Utter silence prevailed. Ron, Hermione and Ginny were intently sucking in every word. Taking a deep breath George continued "Voldemort …", "I was so sure it was that scumb-" Ginny had clapped a hand to Ron's mouth. "Continue" said Hermione all the while glaring at Ron. "Where was I? Ah yes, Voldemort …" He was interrupted again as the door to the living room burst open.

The Order Members stepped out. Tonks, Lupin and Mrs. Weasley were quite pale. Most of them had a look of disgust mingled with suppressed fear on their faces. Evidently, something _really_ rotten had happened. Seeing them Hermione and Ron were beginning to sweat and could hardly open their mouths, expecting the worst. Ginny however edged closer to the door hoping to catch a few words. At that precise moment Moody limped out, alongside Snape and Dumbledore.

Seeing Ginny and the others, Moody let out a soft sort of growl. "Professor Dumbledore, it is not Harry?" said a deathly pale Ron, making a question rather than a statement. Dumbledore looked down at the kids. "No". A loud chorused collective release of breath was heard, "Ahhhhhh…" followed by relieved chatter and then again, silence. Still partly relieved, Hermione and Ron couldn't shake off the awkward feeling, that something was wrong.

"There was a Death Eater attack at St. Mungos". "WHAT?" all the kids were on their feet. Fred was next. "Evidently, You-Know-Who again Dad?" "Yes" replied Arthur Weasley. A quick glance at Dumbledore told him to go on. "Around thirty Death Eaters had broken into St. Mungo's some time back". "Some patients and two guards were tortured but Aurors apparated just in time, the fighting is still going on". "Probably, they were trying to take the Longbottoms but …" Ron and Hermione exchanged dark glances, Ginny was flabbergasted.

George muttered "A second time, huh?". "Well, now we must make a move, mustn't we?" muttered Kingsley in a rather low hoarse voice.

"NO, I – I mean – I'm feeling unwell". Everybody looked quite astonished, even Moody. Lupin slowly emerged from the room, looking quite out of sorts. "I can't come, I'm not fine, I – I can't do it, I'll stay back". Moody recovered first, his open mouth clicked shut and looking quite amused, he walked over towards Lupin, "Well, Harry is FINE, you've read all his letters, haven't you?".

"Fine, the others will have to go on, this cannot wait, can it?" that was undoubtedly Snape.

The _Snape_ effect was evident, as Ginny narrowed her eyes, Ron clenched his fists behind his back, automatically _"If he opens his stinking mouth again …"_, when Mrs. Weasley swept beside Lupin. "Now, now, Remus, Harry is very safe there, if he were in trouble his letters would reflect it, besides Albus would surely know, wouldn't he?" "**I know that** but something is really troubling me, something is probably wrong, rather surely wrong. I – He" retorted Lupin.

"The **WereWolf Who Lived**? A new story likely, it probably …" muttered Snape who quickly fell silent as the headmaster walked to Lupin, partly smiling. He simply put a hand on Lupin's shoulder and said "You can stay back, you really seem to be ill". Hermione turned to see a furious foursome glancing angrily at a smirking Snape. Ron was muttering something on the lines of _"That filthy smelling greasy son of …"_. She nudged him hard on his elbow and he reluctantly gave up. Lupin looked up into the headmaster's face. He did seem quite old. "Alright, I'll come but if anything regarding Harry comes into light, we turn to Number 4, Privet Drive, **fine**?" replied a very troubled looking Lupin. "You have our word" Moody replied, Kingsley and Tonks nodded, Dumbledore smiled. Snape's mouth was cast into a very dirty smile, noticed only by Ron, Fred, George who looked distinctly murderous. With that Mrs. Weasley gave Lupin a small kiss on the cheeks.

Arthur Weasley, Snape, Lupin, Kingsley, Tonks, Dumbledore and Moody turned and set out towards St. Mungo's, leaving five incredibly _stupefied_ and shocked teens behind with Mrs. Weasley.

George and Ron started off on a sarcastic note, "Whoa! that **was** something? You **kissed** him Mom!!" Ron, Ginny, Fred and George were quite amazed. Their mother was quite soft hearted but A KISS, definitely they had missed something real big. Ignoring the sarcasm their mother silently sat down on a chair. Ginny was muttering something about _Longbottom_.

"Yes, they are Neville's parents" said Ron heavily. "They **were** victims of the Cruciatus Curse, yes don't discuss this with Neville, it will simply dampen his spirits" This was Mrs. Weasley, she looked very concerned, Fred and George could make out her furrowed forehead, implying thoughtfulness."

She continued in a resigned voice "Poor Remus, first Sirius and now he is really worried about Harry". Hermione interjected "He seemed awful". Someone muttered, "Hope Harry is safe" that was Ron. He added slowly in a smaller voice, "He is, must be".He was still quite unsettled and seeing Lupin seemed to have confirmed his thoughts.

Mrs. Weasley looked at them for a moment and did something really unexpected, she hugged each of them tightly and made off to the kitchen. "Hope Lupin and my Mom" remarked George, while Fred who was looking thoughtfully at his mother's receding back, completed his sentence "are wrong".

Meanwhile, at the Dursleys Harry was already in trouble, rather trouble had found him, in the form of Lord Voldemort.

_"**Don't get your hopes up, Dursley?**" floated a lazy voice around the room._

_All the Dursleys froze to the floor. "Yet another nightmare" so hoping Harry turned around, red hot pain seared through his scar, just as Voldemort had turned himself visible, temporarily de-mobilizing him and he stumbled onto the ground, one hand on the floor, with his wand and the other on his scar._

"Bowing to me so soon, Harry?" sneered Voldemort. _"No other Death Eaters around" noticed Harry._ "Scared of death, are you really a Gryffindor?" _"Crucio"._

_Harry could feel his bones on fire, lava pouring down his throat and white hot knives scratching his back._ His pain lifted. Apparently, he had been screaming his heart out, since his throat felt dry and choked. Harry fell with a thud to the ground, trying to recover.

"Unable to answer me? Luck has got you this far, not any more" hissed Voldemort unable to conceal a smile. "I am in a good mood, Harry, you can't escape, no one can escape Lord Voldemort. Ready yourself again". "_Crucio"._

Harry could almost feel himself crying out in pain but NOTHING. Instead, his uncle's screams echoed in the room. He being hit by the curse, was suffering pain beyond pain, screaming horribly, only Harry could know how much. He had had three experiences.

He was wishing desperately that this was a nightmare, to go away, he couldn't bear to see anyone in that sort of trouble. The other Dursleys stood as if petrified in horror. An invisible sheet of fear took over him. _"This is the end of me" thought Harry_. _"You want to let your family die, don't you?" said a voice in his head again. "I'm helpless again", "You are helpless because you are scared of Voldemort, you are not a Gryffindor, you aren't even fit to be a Slytherin, thinking about fighting Voldemort weren't you?" mocked the voice. It continued on "Let your parent's, Sirius's sacrifice be wasted, let the Dursleys …"._

His conscience had switched his senses on. "**NO**" roared Harry. His aunt who was perhaps under the curse now, stopped shrieking. She slumped motionless to the ground. One look at their condition and his hatred took over. _"They don't deserve this and neither does anyone"_. Voldemort was probably taken by surprise at Harry's outburst and so he had stopped to look at him. The Dursleys were gaping at him. Only a shocked looking Dudley Dursley was on his feet.

Voldemort regained his senses quite fast. "Very well, you could have told me before. As I told you before it was nice dueling with your father and fun killing him, pity **your **_mother_ could have **given in**, she was an excellent witch. Shall I start from your cousin?" "**You are keeping your filthy hands off them**" Harry hissed with silent ferocity, every part of his body spitting fire, every tiny part of him on a rush of pure adrenaline fuelled by anger and intense hatred.

Voldemort simply raised his wand against a gaping Dudley, and muttered dully "_Avada Kedavra"._ "Impedimenta" yelled Harry. A familiar whoooosh reverberated along the room, with a bright green light, towards Dudley who was turning paler as it approached, his legs were frozen. The elder Dursleys were too shocked to react. They only knew too well the effects of the curse, from Dumbledore and the fate of Harry's parents. Just a fraction of a second before it hit its target, Harry's curse had found Dudley. "Bang", Dudley was blown backside onto the floor while the killing curse hit an adjoining desk narrowly missing his hair. The desk instantly burnt into ashes, giving out bright greenish red flames.

There was a moment of an eerie silence.

"You always spoil the fun, don't you? So now …" he never got to finish his sentence. "Expelliarmus" roared Harry every bit of him wanting to kill Voldemort, to save the Dursleys, a dark red light speeded towards a surprised Voldemort who reacted immediately, "Protego", "Crucio". Harry rolled out of his own curse behind a chair, his eyes scanning the room for protection. The Cruciatus curse hit the chair and rebounded off it. Instinctively, Harry sent a Jelly legs jinx at Voldemort between the legs of the chair. This was totally unexpected, Voldemort roared in anger as his legs started dancing awkwardly.

Harry barely had time to yell, "DUDLEY GET LOST FROM HERE, GO …". Voldemort had recovered and had sent a Reductor curse which effectively blasted the chair sending Harry flying into the floor behind him. "That's ENOUGH, Good Bye Harry Potter …" started Voldemort when Harry yelled "Reducio". Now Voldemort had two uneven legs. "YOU ARE DEAD POTTER" bellowed Voldemort as he stumbled and fell to the floor. Meanwhile the Dursleys egged Harry on by "KILL THAT WORTHLESS BAST-", and Vernon Dursley fell to the floor, _probably_ he was **stunned**.

_"This is it"_, Harry turned around, wand at his side. Voldemort was up his wand raised. Harry made a very dirty face at him. "_IT WORKED!!"_ thought Harry as Voldemort started to spit a warning only to be hit by another impediment jinx. His opponent was now truly angry. However, to Dudley Dursley it would have be difficult to judge who was more angry, Voldemort's reddened slit like eyes radiating an intimidating sort of superiority, or Harry whose every part was emitting hatred, speaking only "_KILL VOLDEMORT" clearly_.

"We duel now, Potter".

"Done".

However unknown to anyone, except Dudley, Figg had taken a peep, having noticed a lot of unfamiliar voices. She motioned him to be quiet and scampered off silently, undetected. Also Dudley's face had contorted into a small smile as he motioned his parents to be quiet, who were shivering with fear.

The members of the Order had apparated at St. Mungos. Of thirty, only ten death eaters were left, battling with some Aurors. On noticing Dumbledore, one of them tried to flee but was hit by a petrifying curse from Moody. They jumped into the fray. After fifteen minutes of intense dueling, finally St. Mungos was secure. Looking around, Lupin found some of the Aurors of the Ministry among them, others posted by the hospital for guarding, Harry lurking still in his mind. Tonks and Arthur were nursing a broken rib and a jaw. Moody was keeping a watch for any trouble. Kingsley had just returned with reports. Five dead, four patients killed, one Auror, sixty wounded.

At that precise moment, Dumbledore made an odd startling squelching noise. Quite ignorant of their condition, all of them turned around half-sneering, half-inquisitive with a small tinge of worry, "W_hatever had made **Dumbledore** do that?"_ Moody had a raised eyebrow. The aged professor looked quite ruffled, as he muttered a small conjuring spell, A person's face appeared in it.

What followed next had all the wizards completely thunderstruck, _rather wonderstruck_?

Undoubtedly it was Figg, who probably had been running "Arabella Figg, Voldemort … Harry Potter … fighting … dueling still on, **NOW IN PRIVET DRIVE**". After some moments, all the Aurors recovered from their state of shock and assembled themselves, looking at Lupin disbelievingly as Dumbledore created a PortKey.

The next instant they were at the entrance to Privet Drive.

All the Order Members ran towards the Dursley House, Tonks and Arthur Weasley were holding their broken body parts, panting, ignoring the pain. Seeing the flashes of light, the intense dueling going on, between the two rivals, all of them were shocked, awed, frightened and proud at the same time, all worries forgotten.

After some moments of witnessing the exchange in the house, Dumbledore recovered and wordlessly strode towards the Dursley house, Lupin grinned "Well, I suggest we drop Voldemort a visiting card".

After, taking the positions, Harry and Voldemort stood facing each other. The room seemed to be full of the mutual hatred between them and the excitement of the duel. Dudley automatically began the countdown, fear forgotten. 3…2…1….

Voldemort started off, "Leglimens". "Protego". Voldemort rolled away firing an Imperious curse "You will be dead soon _Potter_, your _mother darling_ is waiting for you." sneered Voldemort. Harry caught off guard by the comment, took the full brunt of it.

Voldemort got up a, radiating a triumphant feeling, "So Potter, we finish what we had started. Kill Dudley Dursley". Harry took shaky steps towards Dudley Dursley raising his wand. _"No I will not"_ Harry lowered his wand, his eyes bore the look of an extremely powerful internal conflict going on in his mind. "**Kill Dudley Dursley**". "**_No I will NOT_**_"_. "**KILL YOURSE** …" Before Voldemort had finished Harry had shaken off the Imperious curse yelling "**NO I WILL NOT**".

"Stupefy", "Protego", "Expelliarmus". "_No one controls me not even you Voldemort_" Harry was now spilling with rage, _He tells me to kill my own family, how dare he?_

One of Harry's hexes struck Voldemort again and he stopped.

Their spitting eyes met again.

The barrage that started after that was best described by Dudley Dursley as 'inhuman'.

The flashes of light were almost instantaneous. Harry would fire a curse which Voldemort ducked and firing a counter curse, Harry would hide behind chairs, tables and use the protection to the maximum, firing curses from behind and scampering before that protection was ripped apart by a Reductor. Smartly, Voldemort would conjure a snake only to be disposed of. On one occasion, Harry had the ceiling fan drop on Voldemort's _thick_ head, only to be blown away to tiny pieces. This ducking, firing a curse, shielding, pushing continued for a long time. A truck-load of fireworks seemed to have been lit in the room. The exchange of spells, curses, jinxes was at a lightening speed.

Dudley never understood the words. In short Stunners, Disarming spells, Bat Bogey hex, Fire spells, Shielding charms, Jelly-legs jinx, the Cruciatus curse, were blazing across the room in full glory. The sofa was burnt by a fireball, its legs guided by a levitating charm towards Voldemort who transfigured it into a snake, which attacked Voldemort, on being asked to by Harry. The room was emptying itself of all objects _"The Dursleys will be pissed out"_ snorted Harry as he dodged another Killing curse.

After a good twenty minutes time Harry found himself tiring out. A last hex had successfully found its way onto his wand arm. His wand flew straight out of the window "_Oh no I had it_" taking with it Harry's hopes as well. Voldemort was panting hard. "Well, you sure **were** a good fighter, Un_fortunately_, goodbye" sneered Voldemort, as he raised his wand.

"You are wrong" echoed a voice around the room.

"Crack". His wand was knocked out to the floor. Turning around Voldemort discovered something, something Harry had already done, totally unexpected, **absolutely unexpected**".

An angrily curled fist was making its way towards his chin. It found its target just before he realized what was coming. Voldemort felt a rock hitting his chin, next he was airbone and finally he plummeted with a sickening crunch on the trashcan, beside the T.V. knocking it over.

Voldemort was knocked out, which was what Dudley seemed to think.

"That was **cooool** ickle Diddydums" Harry sneered and grinned at the same time. The elder Dursleys were tearful, maybe due to the dilapidated condition their house was in.

Dudley Dursley was looking at Voldemort while having an extremely irritated expression on his face, both his fists clenched tightly. He looked down at Harry. "**You fine?**" Harry was simply staring at his cousin. Dudley had never ever spoken to him like that. He nodded his head dumbstruck. Both the boys looked at each other in a new light.

Voldemort had by now got up and an instantaneous look of frustration crossed his face, then it was gone, he raised his arm and his wand flew to his hand. With an angry look on his face he retorted, "Finally, Good bye Potter you need not get up, _Avada Ked…_", Dudley and himself had goose bumps over their hands. **_This had to be, it could only be …_**, just then Harry caught sight a very powerful stunner above Dudley's head heading towards Voldemort, who broke off and apparated a few feet in front of the door. 

"Dumbledore" drawled Voldemort irritatingly, answering his thoughts. Noticing the other Order members, he continued sneering, "So it seems the other members of the circus troupe have arrived too". Dumbledore simply scanned the room and caught sight of Harry now standing looking back at him, with Dudley supporting him. However, this had given precious instants to Voldemort, who simply sent a crimson light at Harry and his cousin and disapparated with a final 'crack'.

His cousin somehow dodged the curse cast at him. "_Astonishing performance Dudders!!"_ thought a smirking Harry. He looked around to see a relieved looking Remus rushing towards him, Moody and Tonks looking at him with a mixture of pride and awe, followed by the **Dursleys**. At that precise moment Voldemort's curse found Harry's chest and he dropped to the ground without any sound.

**_Note:_** Wasn't that some real action?

I promise that this is not the last. I have an idea to extend this story, to 30-40 chapters.

To make this idea fructify, go to the end below, you will see a button called '**Go**' beside '**Submit Review**'. Got what I mean, if you haven't still, **Click it and REVIEW**. **That simple action of yours will _add fuel to the fire_**. I mean I **will be **compelled to update. That's all. By the way, do not worry about pairings now. Such stuff is a long way off.

In short PLEEEEEEEASE REVIEW and let me know (and OF COURSE recommend it to others too).

Your reviews will be attended to, Trust Me.


	3. Safe

A Note from the author:

I have changed the 'Character 1' as Harry Potter and 'Character 2' as Voldemort, for this story.

By the way,

_On checking the reviews, I did get a BIG SURPRISE._

**_BELOVED READERS_**_, THANKS A ****__LOT__ to _

_srivatsa__, **Qool**, **Darkmoon**** Fleur, KMN03, ****AJ Gryffindor, ****Katiekins, **ParanoiaIn2005**, R, zemba56, john, **dmmason03**, ****wait a second, ****Mystic Dragonfire, **__Magelin__ Elensar and_

_Snakey_ Snape for their reviews.____

A bold typeface **indicates** a **fanfiction**** member and nothing more.**

Well, you _probably liked the previous two chapters, do tell me how this one is._

Chapter 3. Safe

_"Dumbledore" drawled Voldemort irritatingly, answering his thoughts.__ Noticing the other Order members, he continued sneering, "So it seems the other members of the circus troupe have arrived too". Dumbledore simply scanned the room and caught sight of Harry now standing looking back at him, with __Dudley__ supporting him. However, this had given precious instants to Voldemort, who simply sent a crimson light at Harry and his cousin and disapparated with a final 'crack'._

_His cousin somehow dodged the curse cast at him. "Astonishing performance Dudders!!" thought a smirking Harry. He looked around to see a relieved looking Remus rushing towards him, Moody and Tonks looking at him with a mixture of pride and awe, followed by the **Dursleys. At that precise moment Voldemort's curse found Harry's chest and he dropped to the ground without any sound.**_

Harry opened his eyes, half hoping that he was alive. He thought of looking around but immediately dropped the idea, since all he could see was a blurry mist. He was lying down on something soft, a bed.

"M_y **glasses**" thought Harry, slightly uneasy. The room was eerily silent. Besides Ron and Hermione, who were his best friends, his glasses were his most faithful companion but Harry did not have the strength to reminisce about his friends or anything else leave alone even **talk**. He was feeling tremendously weak, as if any strength in him had been pulled out._

He wished Ron or Hermione were there near him. At that moment the faces of his uncle and aunt flashed across his eyes.

"_THE DURSLEYS". Harry tried to reason with his unsettled mind, "They did **seem alive,** **_Dumbledore_**__ and the Order **were present". Even as this thought entered his mind, Harry's frustration began to resurface. Though he hated the Dursleys, he felt somewhat sympathetic towards them.**_

"_They are strict … and do act a bit (rather **quite) oddly …" pondered Harry.**__ "… I even know why. Still, that does not make them liable to suffer at the hands of Voldemort". The Dursleys led a life which was totally different than what Harry would call **normal**. Having heard a prophecy about him the previous year, Harry was quite sure that Voldemort had come to Privet Drive __for killing him, but the Dursleys had to suffer for no fault of theirs, too. Carrying on with his thoughts Harry realized something worse. Innocent people, wizards and Muggles (non–magic folk) alike would be subjected to painful torture, on the whims of a lunatic, just like it had happened to him and the Dursleys._

A mental image of a cruel, emotionless, brain dead murderer had begun to form in Harry's mind. 

It slowly took on the shape of Voldemort.

_"Curse him" spat Harry, effectively shattering the Voldemort in his thoughts, to a million pieces._

"_Since I can't see, I may well say something, hope someone hears me" thought Harry fighting against the weakness that threatened to engulf him. Harry opened his mouth to say something, anything so that someone would hear him but his weak body did not back him up. Refusing to be outdone, he focused all his strength and had barely begun to speak when he heard a sound in the vicinity. In moments, Harry sensed movement near his feet._

"Oh Mr. Potter, you **are awake." exclaimed a chirpy feminine voice, in a low voice. Harry simply blinked. His head was buzzing with questions, "_Where am I? Who is this lady in white?"_ His instincts told him that he most likely was in some hospital, "**_Mungo's_****_?_**_"_ or in a worst case, in some graveyard awaiting death, probably seeing a ghost. _"Mungos was most likely". He blinked again._**

The same person now had strolled up near his head. For a brief moment, just as his glasses were replaced tactfully on his person, Harry closed his eyes. "You may open your eyes now" The same feminine voice prompted him.

Harry opened his eyes and saw a bright looking girl (or probably lady) looking down at him with a lively smile playing on her lips. Harry, having noticed the robes, she was wearing, deduced that he was in some hospital, probably St Mungos, after all. He arched his brows questioningly. "_She would be…, quite young" thought Harry._

"I'm your **nurse, Mr. Potter" answered the girl, looking at him slightly amused. "You are in St. Mungos, fourth floor SPELL DAMAGE". If Harry was surprised, to see a nice looking young black haired girl gazing at him, now he was perplexed. "_When did I get here?"__ "Hope, she _****knows her job" Harry was concerned for himself. His _nurse had probably noticed this as she let out a small laugh. "_Don't worry". "I do have enough experience to back me up_"._**

"By the way my name is Sylvia Crawford". Harry simply moved his eyes around searchingly and gave her a look.

"You were brought here a couple of hours back". A slight pause followed.

Having glanced at a particular direction, which Harry figured could be a door to his room, she continued in a lower tone, bending towards his face, "You were in a **sordid** state, Mr. Potter".

Straightening up again, her voice taking the previously low tone, she continued further, "Thank your stars, the treatment proved successful".

"One more thing, just don't let the matron know that I told you so. She will have my head" said the nurse almost pleadingly. Harry smiled and tried to reply an "OK" and instantly repented.

He felt as if boiling hot water had been poured into his throat forcibly, and a spear had been thrust into his chest. Yelling aloud, so as to ease the pain was absolutely out of question. The pain lasted for not more than an instant but the result was devastating.

Two hot tears formed in Harry's eyes and rolled of his cheeks.

A brief silence passed.

The nurse said hastily, "Mr. Potter, don't bother to exert yourself anymore. I just remembered something. I'll be back quickly, so don't worry" and she was gone.

_"Thankfully I'm alive" thought Harry miserably_.

The brief exercise had however taken its toll on him. Harry had tired himself enough in addition to his weak constitution. As a result, even when sleep slowly enveloped him, he didn't even resist and gave in. He also didn't know that his nurse had arrived with the matron, she had even taken his glasses off and kept it on the desk, by his side.

_'HARRY' cried Lupin as Harry was hit by the curse. Except Dumbledore, the other Members were standing in total shock. Dumbledore had already started taking brisk steps over to Harry, which quickened as Harry slowly and steadily crumpled to the ground. He was trying to ascertain the damage. Meanwhile, having recovered their senses, the others quickly trooped over to Harry's form which now showed no form of life._

_"Is he dead?". It was Aunt Petunia. According to Harry, she was always strict and probably a teensy bit soft inside but now she was shaking horribly. __Dudley__ was staring at Harry in complete shock and disbelief. Even __Vernon__ Dursley looked pallid, slightly shaking._

_It was __Vernon__ Dursley who recovered first, he spoke slowly, his voice shaking partly due to the effects of the Cruciatus curse, which had nearly worn off and mostly due to anger. "The boy was real furious and was using … MAGIC" __Vernon__ Dursley was roaring in anger, managing to get out the 'm' word with great efforts. "He did put in a good attempt at fighting off Volda … Voldi … whoever that **accursed ba-".**_

_"**Voldemort", Petunia Dursley completed it, slightly afraid half-expecting the 'scum' to be lurking nearby.**_

_"__Dudley__, managed to get that scum down, didn't you son?" continued __Vernon__ hardly able to suppress his happiness, with a distinct look of pride, while looking at his son. Turning around, he saw Moody's magical eye fixed onto __Dudley__ and the other eye on himself. That promptly shut __Vernon__ up._

_Dudley__ spoke up, looking a bit off color, "He isn't dead, is he?" and added "I had seen our neighbour snooping around."_

_"I'm here", answered a voice. Mrs. Figg was standing beside Dumbledore, white as a ghost. She had sneaked in silently just after Voldemort had disapparated. Out of fear, she probably hadn't heard __Dudley__ properly._

_This attitude from the Dursleys was totally unexpected, by Kingsley. But Arthur, Moody, Tonks and Lupin having met the Dursleys previously at Kings Cross, weren't a tad bit surprised. A whisper arose amongst the Order Members, which settled down as all the people saw Dumbledore standing up._

_Vernon Dursley was muttering something, "… boy … You-Know-What … scum … if not for __Dudley__ …"_

_"Is Potter in trouble?" asked a worried looking Moody. Kingsley was still staring at Harry in awe._

_"That curse was probably a Reductor, if I'm not mistaken" replied Dumbledore solemnly and turned towards Lupin. Lupin had easily noticed the troubled look the professor was giving him, it promptly set off his alarm signals. Peering behind him, Lupin also saw that Harry was firmly bound in something that looked an awful lot like …_

_"Plaster" exclaimed Lupin and Tonks together. This could only mean one thing. They had to be headed towards a hospital … **St Mungos** and doubly quick at that. The Dursleys were forgotten._

_Lupin__ and Tonks had thought correctly for Dumbledore had nodded his head knowingly. Albus Dumbledore motioned the Dursleys to move over to Figg's house, where they would get some relief from the Cruciatus curse. After a very short and quick discussion all the members were ready. Lupin, Tonks and Moody took out their Cleansweeps, from the insides of their robes and enlarged it to the actual size._

_Next, Moody performed the Disillusionment charm on himself, Tonks, Harry and Lupin._

_Lupin__, Moody and Tonks were now headed towards St Mungos on their brooms with a motionless Harry in tow._

_Dumbledore, Kingsley and Arthur had already apparated at Mungos, a room was booked for a Muggle girl called Maria Densington._

While on their journey towards Mungos, Lupin, Tonks and Moody hardly ever talked to each other. Moody was on the sharp lookout for any Death Eaters, _in case they decided to drop by, occasionally stealing a glance at the other three. Tonks on the other hand, was thinking about Lupin's odd behaviour at Grimmauld Place. Lupin was on the lookout for trouble too, however most of the time he was casting glances at Harry, hoping that Harry would at least open his eyes._

"Remus" that was Tonks, noticing that Lupin was gazing at Harry, looking lost.

"Yes" replied Lupin.

"He'll be fine".

"What? Hmm. Yes". Lupin returned to gazing at Harry again. He had lost Sirius, got him back all thanks to Harry and had again lost Sirius forever but he had never even thought that he would have to lose Harry too.

"_Calm down Remus, he's been through similar incidents before. He **will emerge victorious. You and Harry will be together at Grimmauld". "Hope so". Lupin was having a difficult time thinking straight. He didn't want to lose Harry. On prodding his mind further Lupin realized that Harry was quite close to his heart, indeed. Meanwhile, neither Lupin nor Tonks had known that Moody's magical eye had been watching the proceedings.**_

"Remus" This time it was a soft sort of growl, unmistakably Moody's.

"Yes, Alastor" replied Lupin, in a tone barely audible.

"We all do want Harry to be fit as a fiddle … he will be fine" interrupted Tonks in a soft voice, a bit of concern for Lupin showing in her voice. She had sensed his thoughts. Actually, even she was worried for the young Potter, more so for Remus as he seemed deep in a **mental tussle**. Her worry was confirmed when Lupin did not reply.

Moody decided to play it straight.

He turned around facing Lupin, his magical eye on Harry, "Keep you mind off Potter for now. He stays alive if we reach Mungos".

That statement jerked Lupin out of his reverie, in an instant. Lupin swallowed hard as the words sank deeply into his head and turned up to look at Moody. That statement was brief, to the point **and true. Lupin returned a curt nod, Moody acknowledged it by returning an expression, which Lupin interpreted as a smile. Moody then turned away and with that the three concentrated all their thoughts on getting Harry Potter to St Mungos.__**

After a few minutes, the trio landed at a location, predetermined during their discussion just some time back. "There you are". Turning towards the trio noticed Dumbledore, Kingsley and Arthur walking quickly towards them. "How is he?" asked Kingsley as Dumbledore lifted the Disillusionment charm. Further, the aged professor stepped back and performed a seemingly complicated charm.

After a few seconds, Harry's figure had morphed into another person's, a girl's. "This will probably keep her-er-him out of harm's way" muttered Kingsley.

"Alastor, Kingsley could you take **Maria Densington** into the hospital, fourth floor, spell damage." It was Arthur Weasley who had spoken as he had received the go-ahead from the Headmaster. Moody and Kingsley nodded and were beginning to move. He continued "and Dumbledore …".

Dumbledore had turned towards Lupin and placed his arm on Lupin's shoulder reassuringly. "The others have to be informed".

One question was on everybody's mind. Why had Voldemort not _killed Harry?_

Lupin had an extra thought too, How did the Dursleys know about Voldemort?

However, this seemed a wrong time to ask.

"Fine, I'll go" replied Lupin staring at the ground.

Meanwhile, Moody was motioning something to Tonks. Tonks blurted out "Can I go with him?"

Albus Dumbledore turned towards Tonks, his eyes displaying a certain sparkle, "If Lupin has no problem". 

"I don't" replied Lupin reflexively.

"Good. Arthur, will you lead the way". Arthur turned towards Mungos and they were gone.

Tonks turned towards Lupin, they exchanged a silent look, shrunk their brooms, placed it in their robes and disapparated to Grimmauld's.

Meanwhile, at 12, Grimmauld Place, the place was very silent, except for some chatter coming from a group of kids who were sitting in the living room, near the fireplace. Except for a girl who was bushy haired, the others were redheads and all of them were conversing in low voices.

"Lunch is being served, all of you can come now" Mrs. Weasley's voice floated through the living room.

"I am not hungry" muttered Ron, as his stomach rumbled.

"Of course you are, we are too" cut in Hermione.

"No we aren't" Fred and George replied together. "Yeah" added Ginny. George looked at Ron coaxingly and added "Or perhaps not". All of them got up slowly and marched towards the dinner table, with Ron following behind grumbling.

The plates were topped with food, Ginny, Hermione and Mrs. Weasley took up one side of the table. Fred, George and Ron took the other. Apparently, they were quite hungry, it could be concluded easily from the speed at which the plates were being emptied. Hermione as usual was lagging far behind.

"Aren't you hungry?" Mrs. Weasley looked a bit concerned. Hermione simply pushed her plate aside.

"Mrs. Weasley, what had happened? Why are we here?" asked Hermione. At this all the others had stopped eating and were looking at their mother. Molly Weasley gave a small sigh and replied

"You eat your food first".

"Tell us now mom" That was either Fred or George, it didn't matter anyway.

"**Please eat the food first". **

The five looked at each other, she had said _"**Please"**_. That definitely meant something.

All of them, even Hermione gobbled up their food quickly, washed and sat back in the chairs expectantly.

"Alright" said Molly Weasley resignedly. She took in a deep breath and started off, "There was supposed to be an attack at home". The effect was instantaneous, though expected.

Her audience was struck dumb. It was after a long time that Ron managed to find his voice.

"So that's why we are stuck up here". "Yes".

"Mom, why didn't you tell us before?" That was Ginny. The redhead was quite shocked but even angry.

"You all were worried about Harry, I did not want to add some more".

"Think of a better excuse next time, Mum?" Evidently, Fred was angry too. His family was a target and even they weren't informed.

"My parents are still at home and they know nothing about Voldemort" exclaimed Hermione. She was quite pale and had not even noticed that everybody except Ron had winced on hearing **the name**.

"No dear, they are in no danger for now" said Mrs. Weasley comfortingly.

Hermione bit her lip. The words _For__ now echoed in her mind._

"Did they find anything now?" blurted Ginny and George together.

As if on cue, a knock was heard on the door. Lupin and Tonks made their way in. Lupin looked rather stiff. Tonks had a face clear of all expression.

"_Out with it now", thought Hermione. What she didn't know, was that all the others including Molly Weasley were sharing the same thought._

Lupin had noticed that the occupants of the house were eyeing him and Tonks suspiciously. He quietly walked over to a chair and took a seat. Tonks flopped on the sofa, looking away.

After a moment which seemed to pass for an hour, Lupin decided to let the bad news out first.

"Harry is in St Mungos, he was attacked by Voldemort at Privet Drive".

This statement had a very pronounced effect on the audience. Fred and George looked totally crushed. Ginny was sobbing. Ron and Hermione simply sank onto the floor. It had hit both of them very hard. Harry was always the centre of the trio. Hermione was struggling to speak. Ron looked totally lifeless. If Mrs. Weasley had not been resting her hands on the table, she would have most certainly fallen from the chair. She was simply gaping at Lupin, lost for words.

"Harry is not dead, he is badly injured" Tonks continued, a bit irritated at the fact that Lupin was keeping shut.

Ginny was the first to speak up, amidst tears. "What the hell do you mean?"

Lupin continued, "She meant that Voldemort attacked Harry in Privet Drive, while the Death Eaters stormed St Mungos". Tonks urged him to go on. Lupin nodded and spoke further while his audience listened in shock.

"There was a confrontation between Harry and Voldemort".

These words brought about a positive change in the room, all the people looked up at Lupin telling him to go on. Ron seemed to have been jerked alive as he was listening curiously. Even Ginny seemed to have lost her senses as she didn't even feel Fred and George using her shoulder for support. Even Mrs. Weasley was staring at Lupin in utter disbelief.

As Lupin continued, the group was OOHing, AHing and even smirking when their ex-professor recounted the episode when Voldemort conjured a snake which turned back on him, most likely on some directions from Harry.

Ron yelled out loud, thumping his hand on the ground, "Serves that son of a -" and stopped abruptly, when he received sharp slaps from the rest, for the uncalled for interruption.

When the narration ended, the whole crowd looked just like Lupin. Awed, frightened, amazed, and shocked all at the same time.

"Wow" That was all Fred and George could manage. Ginny seemed to be in her own thoughts.

Ron seemed to be in a very good mood, a devilish grin was playing on his lips.

However, Hermione spoke up, her voice quivering.

"How is he now?"

"Professor Dumbledore, Mr. Weasley, Shacklebolt and Moody were with him. They would know." Lupin stopped his speech. Everyone was silent.

"You must be hungry and tired, Remus? Tonks?" Molly Weasley spoke up.

"NO", came the reply from both of them.

"You **sure are looking tired, Mrs. Weasley. Hope you didn't fast today? If not, you had better catch up on sleep", said Lupin. She gave an odd grunting reply. Lupin smiled. She didn't want to sleep either.**

A half hour passed. A sound came from the fireplace.

As everybody turned, Arthur Weasley emerged out of the fireplace, a relieved smile on his face.

Kingsley, Dumbledore and Moody followed him, the stroke of happiness on their tired faces clearly visible.

"Waiting for us" grinned Arthur Weasley. He turned towards his wife, "We're looking forward to some food, I'm famished".

Satisfied, with the news and the look on her husband's face, Mrs. Weasley gave her husband a quick kiss and went over to ready the table. The pack of five, including Lupin and Tonks were not to be outdone. They were happy to see them but news about Harry was what they wanted now and were gazing intently at the four newcomers in turn.

After all were seated, Moody started off. "Potter is unconscious and still at Mungos". Ignoring the muttering he continued on "He took the brunt of a Reductor directly in the chest". "The doctor has told us that Harry had gained consciousness, but since some off his ribs are broken …".

A loud groan issued from his audience.

Dumbledore raised his hand, after the din had stopped, Moody continued, "… he lapsed into unconsciousness". Everyone was looking at each other.

At this moment, Mrs. Weasley gave the **call for food** and the audience followed Moody like hungry dogs waiting to pounce on him if he kept his mouth shut. Seeing them Dumbledore continued smiling, "He is expected to recover in a couple of days and then you may meet er-**_him_**."

Hermione raised an eyebrow at Dumbledore, who was smiling. Wasn't Harry out of danger? Why that extra effort? Probably, she was imagining it, so thinking Hermione resigned herself to a chair.

A brief quiet passed.

Hermione was muttering softly, "Hope Harry is fine". Not soft enough because Ron was muttering too, "**Harry is fine,** except for a couple of ribs which are broken or probably non-existent".

A small laugh echoed across the width of the room. Dumbledore continued, "I would better go back to my school, I hear the elfs have been making …" he continued, earning a disapproving glare from Hermione. Ron had probably noticed it as he let out a very audible snort.

Hermione was about to retort when Lupin whispered something in her ear that managed to keep her quiet, but she was casting a furious glare across the table at Ron who was absolutely in higher spirits now, since his best friend was alive after all.

After all the kids had gone away, Dumbledore motioned the Members to pull aside. With one swish of the wand the door closed and a silencing charm descended upon the Room. As Kingsley, Arthur, Tonks, Moody, Lupin and Dumbledore took their seats. Lupin decided to clear the thoughts in his mind. He stood up and Dumbledore answered his thoughts.

"They know enough and were never in the dark".

_"Well, that accounts for the odd behavior" thought Lupin as he discarded that thought, expecting no more for an answer._

"Why didn't Voldemort kill Harry? He could have easily done away with him." That was another interesting question. As the other members listened intently, Dumbledore spoke up. "I do not know but my experience tells me that he was simply trying to judge how much Harry's capacity is".

"It is also possible that Harry may have been very difficult to subdue".

Lupin looked clearly worried. Looking towards his feet he was thinking, "I_f this was true then Voldemort was probably thinking of Harry as a **worthy opponent. If this was so then there had to be something special about Harry. If not, still the past attacks on Harry did not seem coincidental they seemed a part of a plan. Voldemort was probably after Harry for some reason. There was surely something amiss. … Was Dumbledore hiding something?"**_

He turned towards his left and found that he wasn't the only one in deep thought. Moody too looked quite skeptical but his magical eye was looking elsewhere.

Looking upwards Lupin realized that Dumbledore had already left.

Lupin and the others came out of the living room, sharing the same thought. With a last parting reply Kingsley and Moody took their leave. Tonks decided to help Mrs. Weasley, knocking down a candlestand as she walked around a corner.

The table was cleared of all the plates, all the kids had retired to their respective rooms, probably asleep. Lupin sat on the sofa, waiting for tomorrow to arrive. Little did he realize that he wasn't alone in his wait.

_NOTE:_

Whewwwwww.

This cha … chapter is over, AT LAST.

(Before I answer nature's call, a few words (as usual)).

Was the stuff **OK, perhaps a ****bit long.**

I really tired out writing this chapter.

Only you can infuse some strength into me, to continue this story.

HOW??

Come on now. It is darn simple.

Just below you will see a button called 'Go' beside 'Submit Review'.

Go on click it and you are on you way.

If you do tell others about my story, I **will** consider myself HONOURED.

Did I say that the next chapter comes in a week?

;)

(Uh-oh)

See you soon. 

(Nature's call is quite loud and clear now, I BETTER RUSH)


	4. Surprises

Hello, I'm **back**.

Hi you guys, this chappie took all my sweettime and I was only too happy to update it, this story having notched 20 reviews. _Surprising_

Read on.

Chapter 4. Surprises

Yawning, Harry woke up from his slumber. He had a distinct memory of being in some sort of room some time back. _"Now, for my glasses"_ so thinking he turned to his right and his eyes met a desk. He was feeling quite refreshed and unlike his previous condition.

_When Harry was brought into the hospital previously, he had been unconscious for a couple of hours. The last time he had opened his eyes, tremendous weakness had encompassed him._

_On further reflection, he recollected a young lady nurse talking to him, himself trying to reply the horrible pain searing through his chest._

Shaking that troubling thought from his head, he tried to speak … about his recent confrontation with _Voldemort_ … softly. Words flowed freely from his mouth although he found that giving a lecture required a good amount of effort and endurance thanks to the pain in his chest, which would creep through him. Otherwise, he was much better off now, than previously.

Looking somewhat subdued, having remembered the horrendous pain he had experienced while trying to talk earlier, Harry tried to move. "_No pain at last!_" he thought, a bit relieved. He was even able to move his hands easily, so he tried sitting and did so successfully. Taking his glasses from the desk, he put it on. On being able to see properly, he cast a searching look around the room. The room had only **one** occupant … _him_. "_You are in St Mungos, fourth floor sp …"_ as these words replayed in his mind, he realized that the nurse wasn't anywhere around.

_"Sylvia Crawford, wasn't that her name?" _so ran a thought in his mind. On trying to get out of his bed, he found to his immense relief that he was able to. Harry was even able to walk around but on exerting **extra efforts**, a sudden pain would shoot up.

"_An added bonus for staying alive_" he muttered to himself, as he winced while trying to touch his toes, the now familiar pain shooting in his chest though of a small magnitude. "_Let's see this place around, shall we?" Harry muttered again, as he started for the door. As he reached the door it swung open._

"**Ms. Densington**, you should not be walking around, get back to your bed" commanded a stern voice. Looking up, he found the voice was of none other than … "Where were you?" hissed Harry looking relieved with his voice was reflecting his puzzlement. There was no one else in the room. He certainly was a boy. He had barely started to talk again when she cut him off.

"Ms. Densington, please sit on your bed …" she ordered him. Looking at his befuddled face she shut the door and continued, "… and I'll explain". Obviously, he hadn't taken in a word and so she took a puzzled Harry by his right hand and whisked him to his bed. By now he had awoken from his daze. "_Probably a prank_" a thought hit him_._

"**Ms. Densington** is on **her** bed now, I suppose" smirked Harry.

"Yes, so why did you want me here **miss**?" replied his nurse coolly.

"I could do with some company" replied Harry now grinning.

He continued on a more sober tone, "How many days have I been here?"

"Two weeks" came the reply. "So … Ms. Densington, you will be …" she never completed her sentence as Harry butted in with full force.

"**Hold it**" said Harry in a loud voice and winced as his chest hurt. "I don't mind you calling me **Harry, Mr. Potter,** **Potter** or even Mister, for that matter but stop acting like that", said Harry while massaging his ribs softly.

His nurse seemed to struggle internally and then spoke up "I'm not lying, the records say so". "The **last time** you called me Mr. Potter more than once, didn't you? I did listen to what you were saying", countered Harry, looking intently at her.

After an uncomfortable silence, she spoke warily in very low tones that even he had to edge nearer. "Well, **Ms. Densington …**" Harry raised his eyebrow and she continued unabashedly "… you have a different identity and a different name".

"It concerns **me**. I must know more **Ms. Crawford**".

His nurse looked at him a bit disapprovingly. "Both of us on a first name basis" he hissed back. Taking in a deep breath, she continued, "You were brought in a very horrible state to the hospital, with most of your ribs in pieces". Harry inadvertently moved his right hand over his torso, while prompting her to go on.

She continued in a quicker tone, "You were registered as a girl called Maria Densington, by Mr. Arthur Weasley. He said that you had been hit by a Reductor curse on your chest".

She shuddered a bit, as if reliving a particularly bad memory and continued, "When I had last seen you, your chest seemed to be lolling around as if filled with nothing other than liquid, and you were moved directly for some really complicated treatment. Mr. Weasley had a small talk with your healers and they were patching you for quite some time, nearly an hour". "When you had come out, I was told to keep a watch over you and not allow you to move, talk, **walk …**"

Harry cut her off, and completed her sentence "You mean to keep me out of trouble". She simply nodded in response. He continued, "So after the last time you had seen me –er- awake, you had gone to call someone". She nodded again and said, "That was two weeks before. The healers were relieved and even surprised to have you alive, after that they were completing the last phases of your treatment, strengthening your bones perhaps. I hope you must be feeling better".

"Yeah" was all Harry could manage. He could hardly believe that two weeks had gone by. He wished that Ron and Hermione were very much beside him. His heart sank as he realized that _today_ was his birthday.

"_Excellent, Birthday in **Mungos** for a change_" thought Harry dreamily.

He smiled absentmindedly while thinking about the last time he had a present.

_Mad-eye Moody, Lupin, Tonks, Dedalus Diggle, Hestia Jones and a host of other people had sneaked up into his house while the Dursleys had gone on an outing. Tonks had sent them a note, which told a dumb story about they winning some competition. He had a wonderful time meeting them, followed by a journey on his Firebolt. He had reached the secret headquarters of the Order of the __Phoenix__, headed by Dumbledore himself. He had seen the Weasleys, Hermione, Sirius … **Sirius**"._

Harry was sure that his heart had sunk way below the floor. Shaking away his distressing thoughts, he realized that his face was bearing all his thoughts, from the fact that even Sylvia seemed to be reading it, concern written on her face.

_"At least, some of the patients can participate in my birthday" he muttered morosely, trying to look cheerful._

A very meaningful quiet lapsed.

"Harry, **we** will use this identity so that **your** true identity can be hidden, OK" said Sylvia, a bit sternly. "Stop being so **distressed**, I'll inform the matron … Mr. Weasley may come around" She added.

Harry nodded thankfully. She had got up and turned around when Harry piped up.

"Wait a second, I'm clear about **my new name** but won't anybody recognize me, if they aren't blind". She turned around and without a word, opened a drawer in the desk, lifted a mirror and motioned him to look in it, a grin forming on her face.

Looking into it, Harry saw his curious looking face, peering back at him. He let out a grin, matching her's. "Probably, you need glasses too" he replied with a smirk playing on his face. On seeing the mirror herself, she stood staring at it for some time. Tearing her eyes from the mirror she looked at him. Both of them stood in that posture, with an amused look on both their faces, for quite some time.

"Well, Maria, it seems" Sylvia commented lightly, ignoring his glare and added "to be some excellent charm work by Mr. Weasley" and she did look truly impressed. Taking on a serious tone she continued, "You have the appearance of a girl **to others** but you see and feel your actual self".

Harry nodded animatedly. He was thinking on other lines, _"Mr. Weasley wouldn't have done this, this nonsense is **surely** Dumbledore's handiwork"_ and was unknowingly smiling at her.

On regaining his senses, he managed to collect himself and stuttered, "So it - it works only on others … nice magic".

"**Sylvia**, One more thing". She looked at him with mock impatience. "Quick".

"How did you know about me last time?"

"Well, walls have ears" she said returned a impish smile.

Ignoring Harry's snicker, she added quickly, "I'd better be going now, just call my name if I'm needed". Harry nodded, feeling a bit down that he had gotten a person to talk and she was leaving. As his newfound friend reached for the door, she stopped and turned towards Harry.

She began by saying, "I'll tell the matron that you are feeling much better now -". "- having **had Sylvia** for company" Harry completed it. He was beginning to smile on seeing the pink tinge her cheeks had taken on. He had never been so comfortable talking to any girl before but he was flirting openly now, that too with a girl of his age. Having realized that, his smile morphed into a wicked grin. 

Apparently, she hadn't taken it wrongly, for she was looking at him thoughtfully, her lips slowly changing into a smile.

"Don't exert much, you'll tire out" replied Sylvia. She added further, "By the way **Maria** … you look **GORGEOUS**". She said the last word slowly with proper emphasis with a devilish grin on her face and swept out of the room, leaving a crimson-faced Harry behind.

"Curse her" He muttered, as a grin began seeping across his face too.

There was nothing of much interest in the room. He kept looking out of the window, staring at the Muggle street below. However, wanting to go out of his room, he walked to the door, opened it and swung out, only to come face-to-face with a person, nearly crashing into the stranger.

Harry could not believe his luck.

This was worse than his nightmares.

"Hello charming lady, I believe you would want my autograph". Lockhart was beaming at him, holding a piece of signed parchment.

_At __Grimmauld Place__, the Order Members were discussing important matters (as usual)._

_Molly Weasley was trying to pay attention_.

"Molly … **Molly**" someone was calling out gently from a distance, _"Probably Arthur" she thought_. That shook her out of her thoughts. "Oh … yes, what is it?"

"Welcome to Gr'mmaul' Mrs. Weasley", Mundungus Fletcher was looking at her, trying hard to look innocent. A peal of laughter arose in the room, which reduced to murmurs as she cast a threatening glare at all of them, which came to rest on Fletcher. Even Mr. Weasley was trying to hide his smile, unsuccessfully.

"What is it Arthur?" she asked sweetly, while not removing her unrelenting glare from Fletcher who had suddenly taken a lot of interest on the elaborately carved knives, kept on the table. 

"Nothing, we were discussing about Harry". "So what happened to him? He will be fine, won't he? Of course he will" she ranted on. "Molly, please stop worrying about him, he did have the misfortune of fighting against Voldemort single-handedly" said Lupin as she winced slightly. He was looking a bit white but was calm.

"And **luckily** he survived".

Everybody turned towards Snape who continued, "Either Harry was lucky or The Dark Lord preferred to leave him alone for the time being".

"Or Potter was able to fight him out" growled Moody, Snape's contemptuous look going unnoticed. 

Apparently, that stunning display of dueling had left an imprint on Moody's mind, more than anyone else. What followed next took everybody by surprise.

"Mark my words, Potter will be the best youngest Auror we ever had" said Moody in a louder growl, surprising even himself.

"Mad-Eye, wake up, the meeting wasn't that bad" said Tonks. On receiving no response from she cast a motherly look at him, "Probably, you've really lost it this time". Moody returned a disapproving grunt, followed by another round of laughter, which echoed around the dining room and subsided after quite some time.

"Dumbledore … Harry was supposed to be fine within a week, wasn't he?" said Lupin, his concern clearly showing.

"Hmm, there is some news now".

"In that case his friends hearing it won't hurt, will it?" asked Moody looking warily at Mrs. Weasley, who was surprisingly quiet. "Not at all" replied Dumbledore. Lupin and Moody exchanged a brief glance and understanding what he had meant, Lupin walked over to the door, smiling. He opened it to find Fred, George, Ron, Ginny and Hermione struggling against one another and leaning on the wall, listening to any sound coming from the room, with thin threads stuck to their ears.

"A knock would have been sufficient, you may come in", said Lupin, managing to keep his face straight with great difficulty. Glancing in the room, he noticed even Moody and Tonks were trying very hard not to grin. He added in a very low voice, "Mrs. Weasley **is inside**". All of them tossed their Extendable Ears into their pockets, looking at the floor, they made their way into the room, cursing.

A moment passed.

*"Since Potter's friends seem uninterested in Potter's wellbeing, we should continue this meeting without other trivial disruptions", said Snape smoothly. 

Before, Ron or Ginny could open their mouths, he continued, "Harry is now at Mungos and **is alive**".

_Looking at the floor, Ron was muttered in a tone full of disgust, "Did anyone ask the greasy head for his slimy thoughts?"_ Probably, Tonks had heard it as she managed to convert a giggle, into a sniffle.

"What did happen to him? He was supposed to be back within a week" said Hermione determined to hear every detail, looking Dumbledore directly in the eyes. Many people shifted uneasily as all heads turned to Arthur Weasley.

"Harry was hit by a Reductor-". "Dad we **know** that" exclaimed Fred and George in unison cutting off their dad's sentence. Their firm confidence in the fact that Harry was fine, was becoming creased.

"It caused his ribs to break into a **hundred** pieces, causing Potter to lose consciousness and he was fighting between **life and death** for a couple of hours." said Snape, still looking at the twins, as if this information was known to all.

This piece of information had even taken Tonks by surprise, judging by the shocked look she was giving Snape. Molly Weasley looked at him for a moment, as if wanting to stuff his mouth full of dung for his efforts and turned away visibly disgusted.

Fletcher and Moody braced themselves for an explosion, which, amazingly, did not come.

The room had gone deathly silent.

Snape allowed it to spiral still further when Arthur Weasley intervened, "The healers told me that his chances of survival were quite less-".

"WE WERE TOLD THAT HE HAD JUST A COUPLE OF BROKEN RIBS AND THAT HE WOULD BE FINE IN A COUPLE OF DAYS", screamed Ginny at the top of her lungs. 

Ron was shaking in extreme anger. Fred and George looked as if they were ready to murder anyone, who dared to interrupt. Hermione had buried her face in her hands and was quivering with fear.

A tense atmosphere had descended on the room. Even Molly Weasley was looking troubled.

"FIRSTLY, OUR OWN HOUSE UNDER THREAT AND YOU KEEP US IN THE **DARK**. SECONDLY, THAT SON OF A **SNAKE** **ATTACKS** HARRY AND **YOU COULD NOT PREVENT IT**. THIRDLY, HE IS **DYING IN MUNGOS** AND YOU SAY THAT HE **WILL BE FINE IN A WEEK**. **WHAT THE HELL DO YOU INTEND TO TELL US THEN?"** exploded Ron at the top of his voice. The last thing he ever wanted to lose was Harry and what was even worse was that even his parents were keeping mum about his actual condition. He could not go on. Hermione had broken down completely and was sobbing into her hands.

A pregnant pause followed.

"Firstly, -", started Snape silkily but was cut short by Dumbledore himself.

"Your parents wanted to tell you but I asked them not to do so", said Dumbledore calmly. All the five faces looked up at him half-expectant half-furious.

"I thought that you could be informed when Harry was brought here too. I felt that if all of you were together, all of you would be well informed and Harry wouldn't feel left out". That cooled Ron down but Ginny was still angry. "Then why didn't you bring Harry too". The other four nodded furiously.

"We were about to bring Harry in the noon but Death Eaters had struck at Mungos" added Dumbledore almost apologetically. "We were needed there so we had to go".

This seemed a sufficient explanation but the five were very worried. "What if Harry had d-" George choked on his words.

"Wait a second" Hermione's outburst startled everyone. "What if this was preplanned?" Moody looked suspicious, Lupin was looking at her, an expression of badly suppressed surprise across his face, Tonks was on the verge of falling from her chair. On a nod from the eldest member of the Order, Moody prompted her to go on. Snape was throwing her a bored look, his eyes nearly closed.

"The timing of the attack on Mungos, V-Voldemort's appearance at Privet Drive", stated Hermione. "It all fits". Everybody was looking at her appreciatively but Snape cut in.

"Miss Granger, do you truly believe that if the Dark Lord **visited** Potter, the latter would be alive". She shrugged, "Harry escaped again just like he had before in his first year, second year, -er-, fourth year as well, didn't he? Probably, V-V-Voldemort decided that if Harry escaped, he surely would reach -".

Snape cut her off again looking visibly annoyed, "In case you **forgot**, Miss Granger, that is possible **only** if the Dark Lord decided to keep him **alive**" and his lips curled into an evil smile.

Looking away, she noticed Ron and Ginny watching Snape with great dislike etched deeply into their faces. Hermione had an odd feeling that, Snape was probably lucky, as Ron was at a sizeable distance from the cutlery and he looked ready to kill first and talk later. Fred and George were speaking to their mother softly and she herself looked worried. The twins were clearly avoiding the rest of the Order, including their dad.

"Though I admit we did not pick him on time, we reached in time" that was Moody again. "Harry was in full throttle" said Moody in a totally awestruck voice. All the five were now listening to him, even though the hatred was etched on their faces, with an extra smirk to match.

Now, Kingsley seemed to have found his hoarse voice, "He was simply outstanding, moving like lightening, hurling spells and curses at a speed …"

Tonks was muttering something about Kingsley sitting beside Moody.

Hermione cut Tonks off, pointing at Mundungus Fletcher she said sharply "I had never noticed him around, he was supposed to be doing rounds at Privet Drive". "Why didn't he turn up?"

Tonks, Kingsley, Mundungus and probably for the first time even Snape were staring at Hermione, partly amused, partly in admiration for her thought. Dumbledore answered her, "He was doing some other job elsewhere". "Where?", she demanded. This time Ron spoke up "We **want** to know". Fred hissed in her ears, "Way to go, Hermione".

"At the Burrow", replied Dumbledore resignedly. All the five were taken aback at this piece of information. "Then Harry was left alone for some time" said Hermione fiercely, hoping deep inside that it was false. "Of course not, there are people who I would not name".

A short pause ensued broken again by Dumbledore, "I wanted to say that … Recent news from the hospital indicates Harry is well and good and is able to move and talk, though with some difficulty". Looking towards Ron he said, "He had asked to see you and Ms. Granger".

"Will you go?" asked Dumbledore softly. Both Hermione and Ron looked at him struck dumb, his eyes were definitely twinkling.

"Yes" both answered in unison as relief swept through their hearts like a tidal wave, knocking out all anger and frustration from their bodies and minds.

Ron looked at his other best friend and hissed through a smile, "Trust our old chap to set anything right". Hermione couldn't help smiling back.

Ginny was the next to react. "Couldn't you have told us before? I'm going anyway" her shaky voice trailed away and she had already stood up. Fred and George had recovered too, "We are not staying back" and added furiously, "No one **dare** stop us".

However, at a nod from Dumbledore, Lupin stepped forward a smile etched on his face. "We all … well **almost** all of us have the same thought" chuckled Lupin as the three loyalists stole a glance at Snape, who was looking at Dumbledore, his face expressionless.

Ron, Lupin and Hermione set off to St Mungos only after Dumbledore had promised Hermione that, he **would** reach St Mungos in **time**.

The three of them reached St Mungos after a small journey aboard the Knight Bus. Ron having eaten Casserole just before boarding the bus, was quite tizzy. Hermione got out supporting him with one hand. Lupin had got down and steadied Ron as Hermione was looking at him a bit frustrated, at his stupidity. As if on cue, Ron retched onto the road. "Hold on" followed by another.

"Now I'm fine", said Ron straightening up.

"I'll never go in that stupid bus again", said Ron looking for the bus, with great dislike. He was unable to see the bus anywhere.

"**You** had the urge to eat **just before the trip**. I did tell you to postpone eating that junk food" Hermione admonished him. "That Muggle stuff **was good**, I was talking about the bus" countered Ron. He added slowly, "After all, I just wanted to **taste** it".

Hermione simply rolled her eyes exasperatedly and looked away.

"Ron are you fine now? Shall we go in?" asked a very amused looking Lupin.

The two nodded their heads and walked behind him. They were in the middle of a large street, jam packed with people. There were shops on either sides of the road, packed with a variety of things, bouquets, Muggle objects like candelabras, cupboards, TV sets as well as other Muggle oddities. Hermione's gaze was locked in a **certain** store containing what seemed a plethora of books, photos and stationary. Ron was looking at her disbelievingly.

"_Didn't you see that store before? Go on, I hear your friend is giving out signed photographs…_" said Ron completing it with a cough, which oddly sounded like 'Lockhart'.

In answer, she swung her fists twice, at his ribs and stomach. The second one found its target and wincing he shot her an angry look. At that moment, Lupin caught hold of their shoulders and whisked them into a small shop named 'Purge & Bowse Ltd'.

Once in, he was smiling at both of them, "Ron, her **friend** is **still** in Mungos, both of you may get to **meet him**".

Both of them smiled back at him sheepishly.

They neared a glass window overlooking a very ugly dummy. He motioned the other two to come nearer. Leaning onto the glass he whispered, "We are here for Maria Densington". Both Hermione and Ron looked at each other puzzled. She was astonished, as the dummy nodded its head and pointed them in. She did not even make an effort to pull away, when the ex-DADA professor took the two by their shoulders and marched through the dummy.

They were now in the Reception hall but the two were still sure that they had heard wrongly.

Lupin motioned them to follow him and after a few minutes of walking through long corridors found themselves on the fourth floor.

"I'll curse your photo if you care to open your stinking mouth, ever again", hissed Ron in a cracking voice, as they passed by a photo of a Healer who was now asleep.

_Only last year, when the Weasleys, Harry and Hermione had come to visit Arthur Weasley in Mungos, the photo of the healer had Ron all angry by referring to his freckles and saying relentlessly that he had a bad case of splattergroit. It had even gone a step forward by explaining the 'only method' of healing it, which had Ron in a bad mood throughout the trip._

Hermione was keeping a determinedly straight face as she had remembered that 'incident' too.

"Second room from the-", Lupin had barely finished when someone hurtled out of the room to their left, colliding with Ron and both of them fell to the ground with a thump.

It was a very good-looking girl just a bit shorter than Ron. "I'm so sorry" she apologized profusely pushing the hair away from her eyes. Ron was simply gaping at her, too stunned even to reply. Lupin was trying with great difficulty to get Ron to shut his mouth.

The girl got up first and surveyed the scene and seeing Ron Weasley, she looked ecstatic. "**Ron,** **Hermione,** **Rem** - Mr. Lupin, nice to see you all". "Hi Maria, Is that your room?" said Lupin struggling to keep a straight face, as Ron and Hermione were staring at the girl tongue-tied.

"No, -er- Second last to the left", She replied while keeping a threatening glare over Lupin, cleanly telling him to keep shut which went unnoticed by either of the other two. Ron was trying to keep up with his new **friend** and thinking what to talk, while Hermione kept on pulling him behind and telling him to keep quiet.

"What's it?" hissed Ron. "Stop bounding ahead like a buffoon", retorted Hermione a tad jealous.

"She seems to know me at least", replied Ron smoothing his hair expectantly and getting a punch in his back.

"Go in" commanded Maria. She was looking at Ron amusedly and he hurriedly went in trying to hide his smile, though unsuccessfully. Hermione followed him, a jealous look on her face. Only, Lupin motioned her to go in and shut the door behind.

"Stop bickering, both of you" Harry said in a loud voice and winced slightly. He simply walked over to the bed, clutching his ribs, sat on it, his back to the wall and closed his eyes. The previous encounter with Lockhart had **certainly** proved tiring.

Hermione and Ron stopped quarrelling.

A sudden realization hit Hermione.

"Harry, is it really you?"

Harry grunted in response. Taking that for a yes, Hermione remarked with a tinge of curiosity in her voice, "Your looks are quite misleading".

"Yes, **very much Maria**", that was from Lupin, who was snorting with laughter.

_Maria_ threw him a nasty glare and he dropped to the floor still laughing.

After everyone had settled down, Harry explained all that had happened after he had first regained consciousness, leaving out some portions of the story.

Ron gave a sound between a grunt and a moan. 

"I knew it", declared Hermione sounding relieved. Ron was busy cursing someone.

He continued, "Nice to see you mate" but Harry did smell a rat, considering his slightly flattened tone. "You do look **GORGEOUS**", Lupin was teasing him, again.

Harry remarked angrily. "So, the nurse was blabbing, it seems".

At this remark, Lupin looked shocked. Recovering quickly, he covered the length of the room in quick steps, his face bearing a look of surprise and alertness and said sharply, "What nurse?"

"She called me Mr. Potter". "WHAT!" exclaimed Lupin taken aback by this piece of news, slowly he added with seriousness in his tone, "No one is supposed to know that, tell me her name".

"Sylvia Crawford", somebody replied. Harry turned around. His nurse had come in the room and no one had even noticed her. She continued, "I had overheard the healers".

Looking at Harry angrily, she hissed, "I **didn't blab** it to any one", receiving a curt, "Thank you very much **Ms. Crawford …** I presume the walls talked again".

Her face flushed.

Lupin continued, "Well, I will need to modify your memory, you may have understood why by now". 

Surprising even himself, Harry interrupted him by saying "She didn't **blab** before, she won't do it in future".

Ron let out a snort of laughter while Hermione was looking at him, wide-eyed. Lupin was staring at him in surprise. "It must be done, Harry". "She won't tell anyone, if so most of the staff would have known by now".

"Thanks Maria, I won't tell anyone", she replied and received a sharp glare from _her_.

"**Is it OK**?" Harry asked Lupin again, who seemed to consider his option.

"She was keeping me company when –er- I was in a mess, nobody has an inkling of my identity, she definitely didn't spill the beans on me". A similar thought of Ron and himself together, with Ron having all his memory modified one fine day, had jolted him awake.

Lupin seemed to have gauged his thoughts. He nodded mutely and looked away but Harry was sure that a smirk was definitely in place. Ron and Hermione were struggling to keep straight faces but they were nodding in acceptance.

"Thanks again Harry, I will keep quiet" Sylvia replied soberly and she was gone.

"**So**, did you lure someone else too?" started Lupin, a grin forming on his face, one eyebrow raised.

"Er - Yes", replied Harry grinning, while looking at the floor.

Everybody laughed loudly, Harry joining in. "He turned out to be Lockhart".

Everybody, _except Hermione_, laughed still louder.

"Is he **still** here?" chuckled Ron a bit amused, while ignoring the death glare Hermione was giving him, adding, "serves him right".

"Aren't we being too harsh, Ron?" said Harry coaxingly, seeing Hermione twitching uncomfortably.

Ron still smiling turned to look at him, blushed horribly and after a moment stuttered, "I - I think yes". Turning around he even apologized to Hermione. Harry exchanged a surprised glance with Lupin, whose insides seemed to be aching with suppressed laughter. Suddenly, understanding why, he looked at the floor, cursing himself to keep shut.

"Hermione was asking for his autographs" Lupin spoke up but Ron cut him off by saying, "Harry will get you his autographs, won't you Harry?"

Hermione looked ready to kill.

All of them were shocked when Harry replied weakly, "Well, I can oblige you Hermione". He took out a bunch of Lockhart's signed photographs from his pocket as Ron closed his eyes and Lupin motioned Hermione to say something.

"Lockhart asked me to take these as a memento of him meeting me", said Harry color rising to his cheeks. Some anger was slowly beginning to rise in him too, seeing their _silly_ behaviour. _They are carrying this too far._

Hermione was giving him a look, both pleading to shut up and sympathetic too. Ron on the other hand was rolling on the ground laughing his heart out. Lupin had given in to his urge and was laughing in low tones, though looking away. "Good … **friend** … Lockhart" Ron was having difficulty in speaking.

Hermione looked scandalized. She was looking silently at Harry who gave a huge sigh and shrugged his shoulders. He was wondering what Lupin could have told her.

It was after a very long time that silence ensued.

"Ron" said Hermione sweetly. He looked at her a bit unsure, his face pink from laughing hard.

"Seeing **Maria**, at least I didn't blush dark red, from my head to my toes and give an insolent stare".

That shut Ron up and as he looked towards Harry, blushed again and returned to seeing his toes.

Now, she was sneering, with Harry joining in although in a low tone not wanting to anger either of them. Lupin was nodding his head, his body shaking with silent laughter motioning Hermione again. She promptly came near Harry and whispered in his ear, "The next time, use your idiotic _pant_ pocket". Harry flushed having understood now.

"When do I get out of here?" asked Harry loudly, unable to see anyone in the face.

"I had enough of this", said Harry, getting out of his bed, his frustration showing clearly. Talking on a serious tone, Lupin continued, "Your healers have told us that if you felt better, you could move out". "I am fine" replied Harry eager to _get out_.

"Dumbledore will be coming around anytime now".

"Tell him to think with his head in future" said Harry very irritated. Lupin merely smiled, "Well this idea has probably disguised you effectively".

"But he's getting affected" smirked Ron.

"No" interjected Hermione with an air of superiority, "**you** sure are".

"Stop it that's enough" and Lupin meant it. Harry looked thankful _atleast Lupin's on my side_.

Turning to Harry he continued, "You, had better remember your current state and don't forget it whatever you do. If the healers consent, you will be yourself in quite some time. No one else need know" reasoned Lupin. Harry nodded his head without argument.

"That is true", said Hermione. "There has not been one page in the Daily Prophet which goes without mentioning your encounter or you. It also includes your _associates_". Harry looked surprised.

"How did they know? I never saw any of them nearby".

"Oh no, I'm talking about last year", said Hermione warily, well aware that the ending was not good.

"The reporters have been trying to get to Dad, hoping to get a glimpse of you, but he feigned helplessness", continued Ron hastily seeing Harry's temper rise, in a small voice. 

"Privet Drive was-" Lupin stopped abruptly. "I heard footsteps", he whispered.

"Stop snooping Sylvia", cut in Harry angrily. As if on cue, she stepped in red faced.

"How did you know?" "Walls have ears", replied Harry still angry, motioning towards Lupin.

"I'm s-sorry".

Ron broke out angrily, "You keep snooping on everyone don't you?"

Lupin spoke up kindly, "If you had asked to come in no one would have objected".

She simply hung her head, uttered a sincere apology and went away.

After a few moments, Lupin continued, "The press decided to visit your Muggle residence".

Harry squealed with delight, cut him off and literally yelled, "The Dursleys lost their heads and kicked them out, only to find them trying to get in from the windows, chimney, the door-". He did not complete it as a pain more worse shot through his ribs and he stopped to massage it furiously.

"No, the only problem was they couldn't find your house, probably they didn't know the correct address", chuckled Lupin as Harry face fell.

Seeing Lupin's inquisitive gaze, Harry spluttered in a low tone, "It happens sometimes … if I exert too much".

At that moment a knock sounded on the door and Dumbledore stepped in. All the people in the room involuntarily stood up. Harry gaped in surprise. He blinked his eyes disbelievingly.

_"**Aunt Petunia in Mungos**" thought Harry baffled._

She walked in and her brows seemed to disappear into her hair as she saw Harry, surprised she glanced at the headmaster. Dumbledore nodded in response. Lupin motioned the other two and they walked out of the room. The headmaster and a wide-eyed Aunt Petunia sat down on chairs, which the former had conjured up, near Harry's bed.

"I do agree that I did it", said Dumbledore looking at the floor. Harry knew very well why the headmaster was behaving like that. The last year was fresh in his mind. He returned a snort, which turned into a flurry of words. Probably, Ron or Hermione had told him about his ideas related to his physical appearance.

"My friends liked it, so you are forgiven". Harry did notice a small smile course across Dumbledore's face. _He hadn't expected it_.

"Why didn't the Ministry expel me when I had done magic?"

Dumbledore answered slowly, "The new law states that any person of 15 years of age is allowed to use magic under life threatening circumstances and above it there is no restriction.

"How did Voldemort attack me in my house?"

Dumbledore looked at Harry's hands intently, "During the fourth year, he was resurrected with your blood. I overlooked that particular fact. So, he was able to attack you in your house. I am very sor-".

"You did not tell him to" cut in Harry sharply, not liking his favorite headmaster taking the blame for someone else's deeds. Dumbledore continued in a more sober tone, "In case I am not mistaken, Voldemort now shares the same protection you have. No one can kill him if he stays in your house, except you or any of your family members."

Harry looked like someone had sawed his head. Even Petunia looked as if someone had handed her, a death sentence condemning her to die by hanging.

The room was very silent. The twittering of birds returning to their houses, could be heard through the solitary window in the room. Looking outside, Harry saw the calming shade of evening changing slowly into the blanket of night.

"Wh – Who else knows this?" Aunt Petunia was shuddering in her statement.

"Us and the Order excepting Hermione, Ron, Fred, George and Ginny" answered a pale Harry as Dumbledore nodded his head in affirmation.

"This means my Aunt, Uncle and Dudley have to be moved to a **safer** place" said Harry now worried, he didn't even notice the soft look his Aunt was giving him. Dumbledore stood up, "It will be done the same way it was done for your parents".

"I am ready", answered Harry standing up. "I will NOT LET THEM DIE", he said sincerely and determinedly. Dumbledore stood up, "If you don't mind, Snape can be their secret-" but Harry cut him off, "No, **I will be**, I trust no one other than myself and you".

This time his Aunt spoke up kindly, "You do not understand, your life is more important" but even she wasn't spared. She had touched a nerve.

"It doesn't imply that **I keep seeing all of you die one after the other**". Every bit of the dormant anger inside him had resurfaced again. "**I have no interests in killing you or letting you get killed**". Turning towards Dumbledore he hissed, "**You may do what you please**".

He had probably gotten too far.

His aunt was now livid with rage, she screamed in anger, "**YOU STUPID BOY, YOU ARE ALIVE ONLY BECAUSE HE PROTECTED YOUR PARENTS AND IT IS DUE TO HIM AND HIM ONLY THAT YOU ARE ALIVE ALONGWITH US. NOBODY ELSE EVEN DARED TO UTTER THE NAME OF YOUR PARENTS WHEN VOLDEMORT WAS SEARCHING FOR THEM. IF THIS PERSON HADN'T HELPED YOUR PARENTS YOU WOULD BE DEAD BEFORE BIRTH**", all the while ignoring Dumbledore who was attempting to calm her in vain.

She was towering over Harry every bit of her wanting to slap him for his attitude.

Harry looked stricken by that bit of her speech.

Dumbledore managed to calm her down and turned to him, "I want only to see you happy, I will do as you say".

Realizing that his Aunt did not hate him as she usually displayed and he had just gotten her angry Harry looked down totally quashed.

_"Apologize you idiot, you deserve it. You think too high of yourself", screamed his thoughts._

When he relented_, his mind raced forward, "You still think that her story is nonsensical, do you? Isn't the first part true, Dumbledore himself had told you, even Voldemort confirmed it after his resurrection._

_Seeing the way people react to **his** name, Can the second part be wrong?_

_Your AUNT **herself** says so, does she look like a liar now"._

It had the desired effect.

Harry looked at his aunt, who looked as if she regretted every bit of it, then the headmaster.

Seeing the headmaster's calm face, he felt worse than the slimiest insect in the world.

Dumbledore had even left his position at Hogwarts the previous year just to keep him safe in Hogwarts. He even had endured the incessant remarks when the Ministry had tried to make him up as a fool.

Further, only Dumbledore had stood by him, even when the whole incident in the fourth year, was projected as a farce. Every person was mocking at him, without a second thought.

Sirius was alive only because Dumbledore had helped him. Sirius was safe because of Dumbledore's orders. Sirius was dead only due to Harry's stupidity, Dumbledore was not responsible.

The truth hurt but it was as it was.

Harry felt older than he was.

Swallowing his pride, he looked at Dumbledore and said, "You want Snape to be their secret keeper because he can guard his mind very well unlike me and is unlikely to spit out any secret unlike **_Wormtail_** that may as well help Professor Snape in knowing that he may clear my father's debt". 

Dumbledore returned a nod, worry creasing his forehead, interspersed with pride that Harry had understood, though still looking at the floor.

With this, Harry uttered a sincere apology looking at his aunt and Dumbledore and returned to stare at the floor.

Dumbledore then did something, which he had never done before. He hugged Harry, patted him on his head, told him not to worry and walked out of the room, while telling Petunia Dursley that he would wait outside. She nodded promptly.

Both of them sat silently looking at each other.

"You are **arrogant**, just like your father but are soft hearted like your mother too and intelligent like both nonetheless", she remarked in a strained voice.

"I'm sorry", replied Harry unable to meet her in the eyes and continued, "So you knew all along". 

"Yes, your uncle was enraged at your mother for marrying a wizard, so he decided to keep them out of the house". "Your uncle was so mad at her, she anyway had the final say", Petunia Dursley said in a sad tone.

"After your parents were … murdered by that ba- **murderer**, your Uncle never wanted you in the house but realizing your importance, I took you in. Besides, the fact that Voldemort was gone, seemed to pacify him and he somehow agreed in keeping you in the house".

She then showed him the letter that had accompanied him on his first day at the Dursleys.

After seeing the letter, he looked up at his aunt and found that she was quivering slightly, a look of sadness across her face.

Reading the letter thoroughly, Harry was thunder-struck, he simply stared at the paper his eyes scanning every line and understanding it, like a doll working on clockwork, absorbing every piece of information. The pieces of his broken world were falling in place. After having read it, he simply crumpled it up and threw it aside.

Now, he knew who his parents were, what had actually happened to them, how they had died and who had risked their lives to bring baby Harry back safely. The successive attacks by Voldemort, the prophecy and Voldemort's desire to rule the entire world, alongwith his single obstacle, _Harry Potter_ all fell into place.

He was lost in thought for a few minutes.

On seeing his aunt, he continued softly, _"So, naturally you wanted to keep me away from this world and anything related to my past, as I would be curious to explore thus exposing my true identity. When I had grown up and was ready you would send me to Dumbledore who would train me for my future". Aunt Petunia nodded sadly, tears had begun forming in her eyes._

_"So it was you again, who suggested the cupboard under the stairs so that I could practice and do my magic out of prying eyes, ensuring my privacy"._

_"I suggested the room below the attic but your uncle didn't relent and so …" She nodded again, her eyes sparkling with tears._

_"So when last year, you must have known that the so called competition was non-existent, it was just to keep my dear uncle and cousin out of the way. You and Dumbledore knew all along", she was positively crying now._

_"It means I have always misunderstood all of you, and still do"._

_Getting up she embraced him in a loving hug and unable to contain himself, Harry simply broke down in her arms._

"What the hell is taking them?" asked Ron impatiently. Hermione on the other hand looked suspicious and a bit angry. Dumbledore walked out and motioned Lupin to come along. "Professor-", Hermione began but Dumbledore stopped her. "Harry is feeling much better and I have brought his aunt along, if she agrees to take him back, he will have to go else I leave it to you", Dumbledore told Lupin.

Ron and Hermione looked ready to celebrate but Lupin had caught the undercurrent in the headmaster's tone. He felt much happier.

Minutes later, Petunia Dursley came out of the house. No trace of any conversation was visible on either of their face. "On your insistence, I agree to take him", she whispered in a low voice and Dumbledore escorted her outside. Lupin, Ron and Hermione walked inside.

Harry looked subdued.

"What did she do?" "If she did anything-" started Ron. Hermione looked worried.

"Just the usual, I'll have to go there" Harry completed, trying to look disgusted.

Lupin interjected, "So **Maria** we'll drop by Grimmauld and take you to Privet Drive".

"No, I'll just- Alright, I'll come, I want to get out of this irritating charm and sleep in peace" remarked Harry looking disgusted.

"Well, Sylvia sends her-" sang Ron, interrupted by a punch and a sharp slap.

"Now you know why …" reiterated Hermione, looking satisfied, "… you are too much to bear".

"The healers have sent their assent to you moving out", said Lupin, adding, "now start your walk". 

Harry spoke up so suddenly that the three jumped, "Wait, the other way, **he**'s here, Lockhart".

Ron suddenly broke into a series of coughs.

Evidently, Ron hadn't yet thought of Harry as his usual self.

_Once more and he is hexed, thought Harry._ Hermione seemingly had noticed his expression and was pushing Ron ahead, ignoring his grunting.

Turning around, the four walked around the aisle and came face-to-face with none other than

"Hi Neville", exclaimed Ron. Hermione told him to shut up but Neville had seen them and was walking towards them a very worried look on his face, his Grandmother following him looking very tired.

"Hi Ron, Hermione, **Professor Lupin**" Neville greeted them, there was no trace of any embarrassment on his face. Looking around he spotted another girl. As she smiled as him, he smiled back and turned, away his cheeks burning. "Wh – Who is she?" he asked Professor Lupin.

"I'm Maria Densington, Hi Neville" Maria had spoken. "Nice seeing you all", Neville's grandmother had spoken. "Hello, Professor how come I see you here?"

Lupin replied, "Hello Mrs. Longbottom, Maria had taken a Reductor in her chest, somebody tried out a dirty prank, whoever did it, she is not telling".

"I feel fit so I have decided to go home" interjected Maria looking at Neville's Granny. She added hesitantly, "Someone ill, Neville?"

Everyone expected him to hide behind his Grandma but he spoke up, his words spilling with pride though shaky, "My parents were tortured by Voldemort's Death Eaters, refusing to bend to his will and that is the reason why they are here".

"Hope that they get well soon" Maria replied. Ron and Hermione were looking at her sympathetically. "They will", replied Neville in a fierce voice.

Turning to Ron and Hermione he asked them, "I hope Harry is fine. If you are still continuing with the DA, count me in". With that, he wished them a Good-Bye and moved away. His Gran was just too overwhelmed and Lupin steered her in.

Ron called out, "Hey Neville, coming down with us". Hermione hitched a smile to her lips. Maria also nodded approvingly. "Alright" and the four marched down through the stairs. They were talking for a long time when the talk apparently shifted towards Maria.

"So, you stay here", asked Neville. "No, in Edinburgh" replied Maria. "My uncle stays there too", piped up Neville. Ron and Hermione looked pityingly at her.

"Er- You go to Hogwarts, don't you?" As, Neville turned around she said hastily, "Hermione told me". "Yes".

Absentmindedly, Harry draped his hand across Neville's shoulder. They went on walking, when Harry glanced Ron's _jealous_ face, Hermione's stare and took his hand off.

They had reached the end of the corridor facing the Reception room.

"N-Nice m-meeting you, Maria" gushed Neville, scarlet in the face. Ron was muttering about _asking for trouble_.

"Nice meeting you too, Neville". Ron was completing the sentence '_and hope to never see you again'_. Hermione was struggling to keep a straight face with great difficulty.

Unknown to anyone Harry was having a difficult time controlling his anger which was getting unruly. _Ron sees me with that stupid look on his face, Hermione is jealous, lingering with LOCKHART and now a nexus with Neville_

At that moment, Lupin had arrived. "Bye Professor, hope to see you at Hogwarts" said Neville.

"So do I and be careful, Neville". With that Lupin took the three out of Mungos and they were headed for Grimmauld. The four of them entered the house. There were Fred and Mrs. Weasley, nobody else was present.

"Hi, mum, Hello Mrs. Weasley", chorused Ron and Hermione. Mrs. Weasley, taken aback by the appearance of the third person, did not reply.

Hermione introduced the new entrant, choosing her words properly, "She is Maria Densington".

**Maria** was clearly controlling her temper with great difficulty.

However, Fred looked genuinely interested in her, "Hi" he exclaimed, ruffling his hair. Ignoring him, Maria asked, "Mrs. Weasley, is Professor Dumbledore here?"

Fred answered her question happily, "Yeah Maria, he sure is here". Maria asked him between gritted teeth, "Could you kindly call him **only**?" A bit surprised, Fred backed away muttering gibberish.

Apparently, Hermione had filled in Mrs. Weasley, as she was staring at Harry in sheer disbelief. Ron had to shake her and get her out of her trance. "So nice to see you Harry dear", she muttered unsurely. Ron had decided that his friend was heating up, so he asked his mother to bring them some foodstuff in another room.

As the three walked in the side room, Harry got a shock of his life. Ron was cowering with fear and Hermione was now worried for Ron and herself.

All the members of the Order were sitting in the room, including Fred, George and Ginny. As the three had entered, all of them were looking at _Maria_ intently. Apparently, Fred, George and Ginny weren't informed as they were staring as if mesmerized at Harry. Luckily, Snape was absent.

Arthur Weasley stepped forward, "Hi Maria, have a seat will you". George was already on his feet, smiling. Fred was in a competition.

Ginny was giving him a look, spilling with jealousy. Lupin was telling them to shut up, in vain. Even Tonks was looking at him dazedly. Even, Fletcher had woken up and was trying to pull off some stunt, probably bowing.

A loud "**Hi Maria**" broke out in the Order. Lupin looked worried.

Hermione and Ron were glaring at the others, motioning them to shut up and moved away after few futile attempts. An inferno was well on its way.

Harry turned around snatched Ron's wand from his robes and faced the Order, wand in front.

This was too much, for too long a time. He pointed the wand at his own throat.

"**I HAD ENOUGH OF THIS NONSENSE, EITHER DO AWAY WITH IT OR I'LL START KILLING YOU ALL**" his voice a hundred times magnified, echoed throughout the room, the frustration and anger clearly visible, his fist clenched over the wand.

"**EXACTLY, TEN SECONDS TO YOU Ten…Nine…"**, floated his roar, as the crowd scrambled madly for their wands**.** The twins were already excited at the prospect of getting to show off their wizarding powers.

Hermione and Ron had already scrambled off to find the headmaster and had met him midway to the kitchen, Mrs. Weasley looked furious, Hermione and Ron were scurrying alongside Dumbledore as he was hurrying towards the living room, very worried.

"We are ready for you, Maria", yelled Fred. Ginny had realized that it could be Harry having seen Hermione's and Ron's frantic gestures. Besides, this _girl_ had an extraordinary temper, which was threatening to spill anytime now. "Har-", started Ginny, praying fervently, that he would stop.

Too late, George had given a catcall.

The room went deathly silent. Harry never completed the countdown.

"Expelliarmus, Stupefy, Reducio, Accio …" Harry spat curses, hexes and jinxes one after the other, his frustration showing clearly. Tonks was trying to avoid them like a cockroach running from a broom. 

Fred and George were clearly enjoying.

After a few seconds, Tonks had four legs, Moody's magical eye was rolling on the floor and Fletcher was sitting on the table like a praying mantis.

Kingsley looked unsure at whether to attack or run away. The next instant he was hanging from the ceiling.

Lupin had done the best thing, of sitting to Harry's side, egging him on.

George sent two curses at _Maria_. They returned accompanied by seven more. His wand flew from his hand and fell to the floor, diving behind a couch he discovered his robes were too tight and the couch had mysteriously disappeared leaving only a handful of powder behind. The portraits hanging around the room were looking dumbstruck at the ongoing inferno in front of them.

Mrs. Blacks screams were adding to the confusion.

Arthur Weasley was laughing hard and never seemed to stop.

Fred yelled out, "Get us girlie, if you can".

Instantly, Ginny hit her forehead hard, with her hand.

The next instant the stool he was using as a shield had sprouted four legs and was strangling him. Ginny stood up frantically and yelled, "HARRY, ITS OK, WE DIDN'T KNOW THAT IT WAS YOU".

Seeing Ginny's reaction, George had understood that the _lovely girl_ was none other than his friend, he came out shaking, both hands in the air, a look of surprise and fright plastered on his face.

Harry's anger subsided at once. Thrusting Ron's wand into Ginny's hands, he cooled down.

Uttering a loud sorry, he marched out of the room, looking angry with himself for that stupid outburst, seeing Dumbledore right in front of him.

Mrs. Weasley and Dumbledore was looking at him with a look, cleanly stating amazement. Dumbledore moved his wand and muttered some words and Mrs. Weasley's look of relief told him that he was back to his old self. "You need to control that awful temper, Harry", remarked Mrs. Weasley, though she was laughing.

Ron and Hermione were laughing in the room, when they stopped abruptly. "After effects of the war, I suppose", chuckled Dumbledore.

Harry felt stupid again._ Two times already_

In a matter of seconds, the entire roomful of people, had come out and were drawling over Harry's style of fighting. Moody was saying, "Harry, I'd like to enroll for your DA today. I'm in". Fred and George looked as if they regretted leaving school earlier than a year. Fletcher was telling Harry about a nice cheap plot near Hogsmeade where Commercial Defense classes could be taught. Ginny was gazing at him as if she had just discovered another Philosopher's Stone.

Tonks was kissing him relentlessly, "That was **definitely** above NEWT level, Harry, Can you give me one autograph?" Even, Lupin was grinning widely, winking at him. Ron and Hermione were thumping each other's backs.

_A birthday not so bad thought Harry, smirking at himself, while struggling to push Tonks away_.

On making their way to the kitchen, he was surprised to find a lot of good-looking food waiting for him. "Happy Birthday to you", yelled everybody so loudly, that Harry felt that his ears would burst.

Nothing could worry him now.

Everybody sat by the table, devouring the delicious looking food that Mrs. Weasley had prepared. The duel had been a lot of fun.

_A perfect birthday he grinned inwardly, Privet Drive or Voldemort couldn't trouble him now even that damned prophecy._

Note:

* - A Mr. _Reviewer_ sent me that new line for Snape. I happened to update the previous one as the new one is more like Snape. 

See it turned to be a good birthday after all. Lets see what happens next.

I hope the story length was satisfying.

Do send me ideas by review, by mail, as you feel but **Puhleez review**.


	5. Coming of Age

I am back.

Seems that you liked the previous chappies. The Potter boy requires some time to get all that he had heard into his head, he will probably need some time to recover from the good and bad news.

Well, this chappie will surely get you into a headstart into the pairings.

Except for the _lovely_ girl Maria Densington, Sylvia Crawford and dis stori line the rest is owned by JKR.

So kontinu reeding. ;)

Chapter 5. Coming of Age

Petunia Dursley was calling out to her husband to get ready for breakfast, Vernon Dursley was already in a neat suit and tie to match. _"Getting some buyer for his drills, mostly", thought Harry._

_"Ah! Here comes the piglet squealing for food". _Dudley Dursley was walking towards the table, gluttonously eyeing the table laden with foodstuff. Harry's Uncle started the dull conversation, speaking at length, about his office and staff. Privet Drive didn't seem so interesting.

Turning his attention away, he walked up back into his new room, a _promotion_ from small room. He had returned from Grimmauld Place, back to Little Whinging, a week back. His uncle had been quite pleased with his quiet mannerism, Harry suspected that his Aunt could have had a hand in his _promotion_.

Hedwig's soft hooting greeted him, as he entered his room and she was flying around happily. Seeing him, she now came to rest on his shoulders.

"Much better now, aren't we?"

As if in reply, she nuzzled her beak against his cheek affectionately and flew onto the bed. This bed was a bit hard but very good as he put it, considering the fact that it was no less a luxury, for him. As he lay down on the bed, many recollections and thoughts flooded his mind, sadness of being unable to see his parents and the loss of Sirius, desire for seeing his friends and happiness as Ron and Hermione, along with many other slowly crept into his thoughts.

A barrage of noise invaded his room. His uncle was probably laughing at his own joke but Harry wasn't hearing anything. He was lost in his own little world.

_"Dad and mum had entered the Order immediately in their 7th year. All was going well until Voldemort discovered that prophecy. Then he started a hunt for them and Dumbledore knowing the prophecy wanting to keep th-**us** away from him. Dumbledore had set up some charm and set them in hiding._

_Voldemort discovered their hideout when the traitor **Wormtail**_ …_"_

Harry let out an angry hiss and turned in his bed. _"I should have killed him when Sirius had told me", he thought feeling put out. "He is the reason I've no parents and Sirius too". _Harry winced badly, this thought was too troublesome.

The letter given to Aunt Petunia had given the answer to his questions**. **It had told him who would tell him all that he wanted to know about himself, his parents and his past. At that moment, the door to his room creaked and opened.

"The food is on the table below. If you are hungry come and eat it", his Aunt said, no trace of the previous conversation in St Mungos visible in her tone.

"I want to know about Mum and Dad", Harry retorted._ "So all that happened at Mungos was just a show, wasn't it?" he thought._

She looked at him fixedly for a moment. Harry returned her look with an angry look _"Telling me about my parents wouldn't hurt, would it?"_

She closed the door and sat down on the opposite side of the bed.

"What do you want to know?" she asked as her fixed look died away. Harry looked at her intently. _"The answer to all my questions…" he thought._

"About my parents", he said quickly, every bit of him hoping that she would relent.

After a short pause, his prayers were answered. Taking in a deep breath she related his past as Harry listened in rapt attention.

"Your mum, was my only younger sister, Your grandparents and us used to stay here". He nodded, prompting her to go on.

"Everything was as good as it could be, till your mother reached the age of ten."

"Just after she finished her primary schooling, an owl flew in delivering a letter from Hogwars - whatever", she said in a spiteful voice.

"It was then we knew that your mother had submitted an application for learning magic in some place called something like **Mesmerizing Moat of … Magic and … Wizardry**. Your mother was very much taken in by the freaks, the way they vanished things, created pigeons out of marble and the like". Giving a shudder she stopped for a minute.

Harry was quiet. The sound of flies buzzing in the room could be faintly heard in the silence.

She continued in a quicker voice, "The letter said that she was a **witch**. We tried to tell her that going to some school which was not at all like a usual one and which practiced **_magic_** was all cheap rubbish. I even tried to reason but she was too determined. She told us that she had already checked out the school and it seemed great. We didn't want her to go to some godforsaken school but then father decided to give her a chance."

Harry was still silent, silently thanking his aunt for all that she was telling him but neither she nor he wanted to show their thoughts on their faces. Aunt Petunia looked at him for a while and then continued in a disapproving voice.

"After the first year, there was no looking back. She brought back frogs in her pockets, made pastries out of thin air. She had some friends at that – that silly school of yours to aid her. Once, she even asked permission to bring them with her home. Mother almost died out of fright but father assented. Mother once asked my adamant sister to return back to a normal life but she didn't listen and retorted saying that she was very much happy and belonged there."

Aunt Petunia continued a bit morosely, "That statement of your mother had us in a jinx. It cleanly meant that she would stay back but she always came back at the year's end." "In her fourth year, I got married and-". A streak of anger crossed his aunt's face before she continued, "-it was then that your mother brought her friends, I think seven or eight, all of them horrible, no dress sense."

Hearing a suppressed snort of laughter she continued hastily, "Well it was after the marriage when your uncle found out that …" Harry cut her off. Choking on his words as he tried not to laugh, he said, "… they were **wizards **…"

She winced and said sharply, "Your uncle lost his temper and yelled at your mother. Your father could not keep his temper and he magicked your uncle into … into something. Some people from a so-called Magical Ministry set it all right but I told them to keep away from me and Vernon. That was the first time I saw the old man, but he looked good too."

Harry nodded in amazement. He was surprised that she knew all this and had kept it all cooped up in her head. _"Wonder what **something** is?" he thought as an obvious answer popped up in his head_

"So you knew Dumbledore", he said shaking the image of a pig out of his mind.

"That time onwards, yes".

"Your uncle saw your mother once practise magic in the house and he ordered her to throw out all the nonsense and get back to a normal life. She replied saying that he should mind his own business and not bother her. A quarrel ensued and after that _your mother_ gave us another surprise. When, Vernon proposed to marry her off, she told us that she was going to marry another wizard, who turned out to be the person who had magicked your uncle at the marriage".

Harry looked at his aunt. His mum had been as bad in her attitude as his uncle. She was to blame too.

Gauging his thoughts correctly, she told him, "Your mother didn't do anything wrong. She just told us before she married Potter. I think she did that just to get to your uncle's head …"

Harry was gaping at her now._ "She knows everything", he thought amazedly._

After the incident at the marriage, Serious and Looping told your dad to apologize", she continued ignoring the smirk on her nephew's face.

"Your dad surprisingly did apologize but Vernon lost his temper seeing your father and your mother together again. The awfully stupid temper of your dad had him again in trouble and he turned Vernon into a log … Aunt Marge was present too".

This time, Harry didn't feel like laughing at all. He had only once encountered with Marge Dursley, which was not at all pleasant. Harry understood that his mum was in very bad trouble.

Changing the topic she said in a strained voice, "Lily and … James married when I think they finished schooling. Well, after the fourth year, your grandparents passed away after that incident. Your mum was under tremendous pressure to quit from the school. She and her friends had come to the graveyard. That was the last time I saw your mum and her group."

"Mum and Dad were bad enough", murmured Harry as the image in Snape's pensive flashed across his eyes.

"Not at all, the two of them didn't quarrel with everybody all the time. They were very good to be with. Lily and my self were on good terms most of the time. It is just something between you and your uncle. You seemed to have inherited your father's traits, for that matter", his aunt frowned disapprovingly.

Harry looked out of the window, feeling worse by the minute. His aunt's voice permeated his ears, "Lily and James weren't bad. It was just that your uncle wouldn't agree to them being together". Harry realized that his aunt wasn't angry with him anymore. She had _said_ the name of his parents, twice.

"At a time after 11 years since she joined that school, the letters that she would write, suddenly held words of caution. I thought that Lily and your father were under some threat to their lives, which Dumbledore told me was some great Dark Freak called Lord Voldemort. The number of letters in turn began to dwindle and exactly the year before you were delivered to us, all letters stopped."

At that point she got up and said, "Either eat your food quickly or it goes down the drain". Then Petunia Dursley simply walked out of the room.

Harry wasn't angry with his aunt, he had expected them to become more cold towards him after Voldemort had come, however, this was more than he had hoped for. He now understood properly what could have happened. Voldemort was gaining power. His parents had done schooling, enrolled in the Order. Till the prophecy everything was fine, after which he only very well knew the story. Harry only wished he knew what his parents had done at school. It was of no use but he wanted to know. Sirius was dead, no one else would tell him, Mrs. Weasley would simply fuss over him. Moody was out of question. Wonder what Lupin would say?

His thoughts now shifted to the prophecy. _"Voldemort marked me as his equal maybe not knowing so, he gave me powers which I don't kn-"_, thought Harry as another thought shook him up.

That duel with the son of a snake.

The Dark Lord and he himself had had a confrontation, just two and a half weeks back. Unlike in his fourth year, Harry had definitely come out much better this time. Dumbledore's words came tumbling back to him.

_"He had said that Voldemort had transferred some of his powers to me, when the killing curse had failed, giving me powers more than him, befitting me to defeat him". _Also, he remembered that whenever Voldemort had a powerful surge of emotion, he could feel it too._ "It could mean that I'm using my foes' strength to my own benefit, thanks to that failed curse, through that scar", thought Harry._

However, this did not tally with the fourth and fifth year experiences, where he was even unable to duel even against Bellatrix Lestrange in the fifth year, in the former case against Voldemort himself.

With this, an obvious question sprang up in his head.

Why had he not experienced that amount of strength, which had pulsed like a volcano in his veins, before?_ Had it been desire to kill Voldemort?_

_He had pulled off a similar stunt at Grimmaulds but that feeling had not gripped him, he had been genuinely **angry**._

_"It is the power stored in a room in Department of Mysteries that came to save me five times, something that my parents, the Longbottoms could not achieve"._

Harry pondered deeply but he couldn't find a proper answer. _Trust Hermione to find an answer._

Telling Hermione and Ron meant that they would suspect something fishy and he would have to tell them the whole prophecy too. He could very nicely imagine their reaction, putting it simply, **petrified**. It also meant sharing his burden with them, though they did not deserve it. Dumbledore …

A tickling sensation on his forefinger lifted his trance. "_Hedwig is another friend too_", he added, looking on ardently as Hedwig nibbled at his thumb. He had left her unnoticed for too long.

His stomach gave an explicit rumble. His hunger had remained unnoticed too.

Sighing, he got up and marched to the floor below, Hedwig perched precariously on his shoulder. His uncle had already gone.

His cousin was nowhere, _"Roughing up some small kid, maybe", he thought._ The food was on the table. He pushed some of it onto his plate and quickly gobbled it up, half hoping to find an answer to the question in his mind. His aunt was probably working in the kitchen.

_"So **this** is why the piglet had **squealed** loudly", thought Harry, as he noticed something kept behind a bowl._

A quarter of a cake was sitting on a plate, apparently waiting for him to devour it.

At that moment, an owl soared into the room and landed with a plop beside him, nearly upsetting the pudding.

"EYOL!" he warbled, halfway between eating his part of the cake. "_Definitely Ron_", saying so he caught the bird, untied the parchment on its leg. Errol took off immediately.

He stuffed the letter into his pocket, ran at breakneck speed to the sink and washed his hand. Tearing into his room, he opened the letter. One hand held the letter, the other hand was rubbing his slightly aching chest. After the pain subsided, he started reading the letter.

_Hi Mate,_

His eyes lit up, all thoughts forgotten.

--------------

_Guess what? I am a prefect, again. Of course, Hermione is the other. Fred and George are at their wits end._

_Hermione is in high spirits, as she has started on another book titled, 'Ancient Runes and Their Secrets'._

_"A History of Magic, has me bored", she says so._

_She surely must have got a crateful of OWLs. Ginny is the fifth year prefect. You should really see Fred and George now. Their faces are a real treat to see. Two prefects in the family, eh?_

_Dad's now running for the Minister of Magic posting, to be held soon. Details in the Daily Prophet. Hermione says that it will keep you occupied till we pick you up._

_See you soon._

_Ron_

---------------

Harry went on reading, now smiling.

---------------

_Hi,_

_I'm a prefect now, my dull brother may have told you. It seems payback time for Fred and George. Hope you are doing fine? Is your chest still troubling you? Mum keeps worrying. The troublesome two, have some sort of surprise for you and are keeping shut._

_See you soon._

_Ginny_

---------------

He could not help not being surprised. Ron had told him that Ginny had a crush on him in his third year but she had done away with it. What was this then?

_"She is just genuinely concerned about you. Besides there doesn't seem to be anything out of the way in the letter"._ Harry felt stupid. Just because she had written a letter for the first time, he was thinking too much. Smirking at himself, he read on.

----------------

_Its **us**._

_We have decided that you need not go to King's Cross tomorrow alone._

_Instead, we will pick you up today evening. Tomorrow, your group will get a move on._

Harry was nearly dancing with delight.

**_Lots_**_ of love._

_Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Fred, George, T_- and Harry's eyes widened further, as the senders' list never seemed to end.

------------------

He simply lay down on the bed, feeling much better, letter in hand.

Privet Drive dissolved in his thoughts, to make room for all his friends, Hermione reading a book, Ron zooming on a broomstick waving at him … then hooded faces.

"I see that all my **faithful** Death Eaters have come back to serve me", came a voice, which Harry felt was coming from his mouth, his _hands_ were playing with a wand. Some of the cloaked persons were shivering slightly.

"Lucius, I see that you are doing quite well and are a person to reckon with in society. Being in the running for the Minister of Magic, what do you intend to do?" spoke Harry again in the same deep voice. He had now understood that this was another vision of his, not at all dissimilar than those which had come in the last year.

"Master, in any case I, according to your excellent plan, will fr-".

"That will do", he interrupted and the Death Eater bowed.

_"Cunning, powerful and loyal, of course no one can lie to me", a thought floated across his head, while looking at the death eater, who was retreating to his place, bowing low._

"Bella, I see that you could not capture Mungos. My **faithful** Death Eaters have let me down twice already", drawled the same voice, filled with a desire to punish.

_"She deserves to die for that failure but-", Harry reasoned_.

Before she could beg for mercy, a jet of violet light, the Cruciatus, had hit her. Bellatrix Lestrange was screaming at the top of her lungs. 

Harry woke up with a start, to find two pairs of gleaming eyes. As his eyes adjusted to the light in the room he found Vernon and Petunia Dursley staring at him. A look of shock and fright etched in neat lines all over their face. One of his hands was rubbing his scar, which seemed to have been touched by a red-hot iron rod.

"Wha – What is it boy?" said Uncle Vernon, in a tone barely audible. Harry could sum his condition in exactly two words, _pissed out. _His aunt was standing stiff, as if made of granite, her eyes fixed onto his own.

"I-I had a dream", said Harry hastily, rubbing his inflamed scar and trying to get up.

Remembering the last time the boy had had a dream, his uncle stepped back, a look of horror on his face. "You are going to a psychiatrist. If not a mental hospital will be perfect". Having said so, his uncle shot out of the room, putting on a spurt of speed, which would put even a speeding bullet to shame.

"Your … uh … friends are waiting for you down", said his aunt, now shaking slightly. Harry surveyed her face for a moment and decided to keep the vision with himself _._ "Good bye", he muttered taking out his wand. A few moments later, he and his trunk were in the living room, in the ground floor, with Hedwig hooting happily on his shoulder and the thought of Bellatrix and Lucius Malfoy traversing through his mind.

"Hello Potter, readied the trunk?" asked Moody in his rough voice, dressed in typical Muggle attire, with that so familiar bowler hat. The Dursleys were standing at one end of the room, keeping quiet.

"Yes". At that moment, Harry had a doubt. "Why did you come **now**? It is hardly noon."

"It means that the surprise is perfect", exclaimed a girl's voice behind Moody. The living room door opened. Harry leaned over Mad-Eye's shoulder and found Tonks, Lupin and Kingsley coming over to him.

"All set Harry?" asked Lupin, his eyes shining. On seeing a nod, Moody growled at Lupin, "Ask a Death Eater that and hasten your death".

"Tell us where you were for the last three weeks".

This question surprised Harry. He stood eyeing Moody warily, his grip tightening on his wand. Glimpsing Tonks' impression of '_Mad-Eye'_ Moody, he understood and grinned.

"Maria Densington was stuck at St Mungos thanks to Dumbledore's dumb charmwork".

Tonks stopped miming abruptly, "_Perhaps Moody's magical eye had found an unwary target", Harry smiled inwardly_.

Another doubt struck him as he noticed the four, _"How come Kingsley and Tonks are with Lupin and Moody, in broad daylight?"_

Moody's growl took Harry's attention, "Potter, keep up with the times".

Lupin looked puzzled at that statement.

Seeing, two emerald eyes wandering over their group, he continued in a solemn voice, "The Daily Prophet has never given more sensible news, Harry".

Digging the Daily Prophet, out from his haphazardly packed trunk, Harry looked for any news. It was written as clear as daylight, covering the entire fourth page.

_DAILY PROPHET_

_Minister of Magic decides to resign_

_Amidst uproars in the wizarding community, Mr. Cornelius Fudge has decided to hand over his resignation to the Ministry. This decision has been deemed, an intel … _

_…_

_Meanwhile, it is understood that the incidents occurring at Hogwarts School of Wizardry were the handiwork of You-Know-Who himself. Could the real Moody have really been in trouble? The ministry officials were against a werewolf teaching in Hogwarts, all the students have said that the subject Defense against The Dark Arts had never been more interesting. The ministry had enforced stringent laws on the school only to find You-Know-Who in their backyard. All the while Mr. Albus Dumbledore (now reinstated Chief Wizengamot) and Harry Potter (the boy who vanquished the Dark Lord) have consistently claimed that You-Know-Who is alive and gathering his forces. Whom should we believe? …_

Looking up, Harry noticed the foursome grinning at him, even Moody was looking at him less suspiciously.

Two hours later, they were at Grimmaulds.

Harry entered the door and saw Ron walking towards another room.

"Hey Ron", he called out.

Ron stopped dead in his tracks. Seeing Harry his mouth opened in amazement. After a couple of seconds, he strolled towards Harry and whispered, "So they decide to bring you in stealth after all". Meanwhile, Lupin had entered and was grinning at a smiling Ron and he walked off with Tonks, Kingsley and Moody following him.

"Mate, they are having a huge meeting here. Many other guys who we haven't seen before are present too", said Ron, a bit thoughtful.

"HARRY", yelled Hermione, making both him and his friend jump a foot into the air. She hugged Harry carefully, lest the pain shoot up in his chest. Then, she motioned both of them to go into the adjacent room quickly, considering the fact that the two were still standing in the doorway.

**All** the other Weasleys were in the room, including Charlie and Bill, who was flashing a huge grin at Fred (or George). "Hi Harry", called out Ginny, enthusiastically. Ron let out a small snort. "Hi All of you", replied Harry, while casting an odd look at Ron.

"Er- Hi", Fred and George looked a bit choosy on their words but Harry cut them off, "Forget that and I'm sorry again for that outburst", he was on the impression that they were still angry. "How're your ribs, all patched up?" that was a relieved looking George (or maybe Fred).

"Yeah, nearly". Turning to Ginny he said, "Are Bill and Charlie the surprise you told me about?" Ginny simply motioned at the twins.

"Actually", Hermione broke in sporting a condemning glare, "Mundungus talked them into something besides their Joke shop".

George continued in tone full of reason, "He said that since You-Know-Who had returned we needed a better teacher for DADA.

Ginny continued in a small voice, "Even I had done some proper Dark Arts last year".

Seeing Harry's expression becoming wary, Fred said, "So we got him to sell us a **small** piece of land -". 

"-on which I could teach students for a **tiny** fee", completed Harry. If he was angry, he was not showing it.

Ron whispered in his ear, "Even Neville had said that you are good, did we ever ask him about the DA? Please, think about it." Seeing his friend's expression changing from a guarded expression to a small smile slowly, he took a deep breath and burst into a flurry of words. "So you are sure it is a great idea. I knew that you wouldn't be angry". The twins had decided to play mute, having remembered the previous misadventure with _Maria_.

"Mom told me that you were fantastic", said Bill, seeing Harry raise an eyebrow, he added quickly, "at duelling". Charlie nodded his head vehemently.

"So you agree don't you?" asked Fred, throwing a hint. "But I didn't actually mean to fight", argued Harry. Hermione now spoke up, "I don't see anything wrong, besides with **Voldemort** on the rise, this seems to be a really great idea. However, the DA had better be held in the school". Everybody winced hearing the name.

She continued, "The decision is yours, Harry". The twins gave her two massive grins, followed by vigorous nods.

"Oh-er-um", stuttered Harry lost for a reply. He was happy that Hermione had not winced while saying _Voldemort_. Fred intervened, "Harry, we would surely have you for practical Defense too, whether you like it or not. DA is solid proof of that".

"No teaching for me now but I am flattered", countered Harry now smiling. _The twins sure know how to mint money_. Fred looked a bit disappointed but his face suddenly looked squashed.

"You have **NEWTS** this year so it is OK". "It wouldn't be so bad", piped up Hermione looking at him. "Even **horrible** would not describe it properly", retorted Fred, as George looked on agreeing with his brother's words. Harry looked inquisitively at Ron, generally NEWTs weren't until 7th year. To his surprise he saw Ron smirking.

"Hello Harry", a voice entered the room. He turned to find Lupin standing by the door.

"Hello Rem-Professor Lupin". For an instant, Harry thought that a streak of joy had just darted across Lupin's face. All the others busy chatting, now turned towards the new visitor.

The ex-professor announced, "Mrs. Weasley has asked me to call you all for breakfast".

"Better not keep her waiting", he added, eyeing the door, with caution. All the persons got up and walked down towards the dinner table. Hermione was discussing NEWTS with Fred and George. Ron was looking ready to pounce on his breakfast. Ginny was looking at him, he promptly returned a smile and looked turned away. Bill and Charlie were discussing dragons and vaults. It was then Lupin met his eyes. The two of them allowed all the others to go and brought up the rear.

Placing one hand on his shoulder, Lupin asked him gently, "Liked the surprise?"

He returned a constrained smile.

"Grimmauld seems to be a very vile place, doesn't it?"

Harry looked up, his astonishment written clearly on his face.

The ex-professor gave him a small smile. Obviously, it was costing him quite an effort. "You are missing Sirius, aren't you?"

Harry dropped his gaze to the floor. He received a reassuring pat on his shoulder.

"You cannot forget him ever. I can understand. It will be difficult to live without him", continued Lupin.

"He never wished that you detest this house just because he died for no fault of yours. I am sure that you never meant it", though very indistinct, Harry could very well make out the sadness in Lupin's voice.

Harry burst in. The heavy pail of guilt within him finally spilt out, in the form of words. "But – But it was me who had the stupidity to enter the Department of Mysteries, just to set him free. I could have had so many other people killed. I had acted so stupid. I lost Sirius too."

A tense silence followed.

"Though, you did make a mistake of going to that place, thankfully nobody else was killed. You never knew that Sirius could never be in that place. You never forced the other students to come with you. They chose to come because they all love you as much as you do. Sirius decided to come only because he desired to, he wouldn't listen. Voldemort is the sole reason that you went there and it is **this** reason Sirius is no more. I understand that, no one else misses him more than you, Harry, though you will have to learn to cope. You may never be able to forget him but try not to dwell too much on memories. His thoughts can be your source of inspiration but never let your emotions control you."

Giving the boy an affectionate pat on his head he continued, "Every body else here agrees that Voldemort is the one who is responsible for Sirius's death, along with countless others. We must learn from our past mistakes and live a better tomorrow. I'm sure that you will prove yourself."

This statement calmed Harry down, though his heart was a bit fidgety. He knew that he was guilty and he had suffered nevertheless due to his stupidity. Then, something more disturbing dawned on him.

_"Lupin must be affected more, having seen my parents die too, though he keeps mum", he was thinking._

He would bear this suffering. He also knew that he would always give a second thought to whatever he did and then act.

They had reached the end of the corridor. All the plates and food were ready on the table. Ron was motioning them to come, with a plate of pudding in one hand and a bowl containing something like soup in the other.

Both looked at each other and made a beeline for the two remaining empty chairs.

"This is not bad Mom", quipped Fred, while finishing his bowl full of porridge, for the third time. Ron was busying himself with his food, at such a speed that it seemed to be disappearing directly into his stomach. Hermione was eating her food while reading a book kept on her lap.

"So how does Gringotts suit you", that was Molly Weasley. "Excellent, all I have to do is sit at the desk and write", replied Bill as George snorted into his porridge. "How about the Eeenglish teaching course?" asked the twins. "Very dull", came the reply.

Charlie was talking with Mr. Weasley about his job with Dragons in Europe, near Karl Marx. Mr. Weasley however seemed to have taken more interest in the Muggle households in the area. Ginny was finishing off her food quickly while petting Crookshanks with her free hand, who had curled up on her lap.

"Are you hungry Harry dear?" asked Mrs. Weasley. "No, I had breakfast at the Dursley's, I'm not hungry", he replied truthfully. However, she did not seem to accept it and it took a few moments to convince her. "Ron, see you upstairs, in the living room", Harry trooped away. Reaching the room, he saw some books scattered on the sofa.

Picking one of them up he noticed _Hexes for the Vexed … Crescendo of Curses …The perfect guide to fight the Dark Arts …**The Compelling Compendium for Charmwork**. _"This sounds good", he opened the book, only to gaze at wonder at the illustrations given in the book.

_So the shielding charm is an assortment of smaller spells, I never read that. The silencing charm consists of three important ingredients. The target, which has the ability to talk, the source which has the capability of imagining the target to lose the power of speech and the power of the issuer. The Fide…_

Harry was so absorbed in reading the book that he had not noticed someone standing beside him and looking at him with great interest.

On sensing some movement, he turned around. "So I see that you **are** getting serious about your studies", Hermione said looking pleased.

"He was just trying to see how you manage to mug up all those books".

She simply let out a pained sigh. "What's the matter, Ron?" asked Harry, turning around to get a proper look at his friend. He felt Ron was definitely growing at a pace comparable to a bamboo shoot and was two - three inches taller than before.

"My idiot brothers decided to fool with those Doxys, which mistook me for them while I was walking by the curtains, beside Mrs. Black's photo." He winced and continued, "One Doxy clawed my hand and I stunned him. The second one decided to eat my head but I punched it and that thing fell right on a vase breaking it. Mrs. Black decided to sing her lullaby. Guess what, all that happened in front of my mum".

Harry returned a weak smile and asked "Where's Kreacher gone?"

The other two looked at each other and Ron continued in a lower tone, "Gone over to the Malfoy's taking some of the valuables from here, that scum of -".

"HE IS NOT A SCUM", shrieked Hermione, cutting him off. "**He is what he has become taking orders from proud wizards where he stays, who treat him like the dust on their shoes**". Ron had frozen to his spot, fear etched on his face. Still angry at Ron, she turned towards Harry only to see him looking at her, intense anger encased in his eyes.

"Kreacher is what he has become because of _proud wizards_ hasn't he?" He said slowly, unlike his usual temperament.

"He could have been treated b-better, Harry. I didn't talk abo-", stuttered Hermione, not at all liking the tone.

"So **Sirius** is at fault always and **Kreacher** is the **_good elf_**."

"I-I did not mean to, I – Not I", she was thoroughly shaken up now.

"She didn't mean Sirius, Harry", interjected Ron, he too was feeling uncomfortable.

"So, I misheard her do you say, of course, I do misunderstand", hissed Harry, his voice cold.

"You asked me whether his approval to start the DA could be **trusted**", he drawled on. "_Don't you think he has become sort of reckless cooped up in Grimmaulds?_" his anger was now rising. Hermione was in tears, Ron was looking at him not daring to speak. With that, Harry got up and stalked out of the room, his clenched fists to his side.

"Damned Kreacher", cursed Ron, seeing the receding back of his friend. Turning to her, he continued, "Hold it don't go behind him. You'll only mess it up further". 

"I n-never meant it. I was just … I …" She was crying openly.

"Sirius is dead now though", he muttered despairingly, punching the sofa softly.

Harry was in such a rage, he only hated everything, anything that set foot in front of him. _They don't understand Sirius, it is always his or my mistake, **always**._

In his rage, he didn't even notice somebody walking around the end of the corridor. A collision was the result and the next moment he was sprawled on his back, on the carpet.

"I didn't see Harry ..", so saying Tonks helped him to his feet. He simply looked at the floor and hurried ahead, leaving her in a daze. When someone called out his name he yelled back, "WHAT IS IT?"

"Sorry for having called you by your name", Lupin replied simply.

Instantly, a feeling of shame coursed through him. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have vented out my anger at you", he replied not meeting Lupin's eyes.

"Some quarrel you three must have had". Harry looked up perplexed. Lupin was smiling.

"James also had quarrels at times with your mum, after which this would be a familiar expression on their faces", he was now shaking his head. He continued in a lighter tone placing one hand on the boy's shoulder, "Usually, the argument would not be worth it".

Harry shot up, "Hermione said that Kreacher is what he is because of how the Blacks treated him. Sirius never-" but was cut off as Lupin raised his hand.

He was not smiling now, "She wouldn't have meant anything against Sirius or you. Tell me you don't know anything about SPEW and her passion for it. Didn't she come with you on the Sirius Rescue mission even though you told her to stay back?" Harry was trying to speak but his mouth seemed to have sealed itself.

"Give it a thought". The young Potter nodded and stared at the floor, realizing that his temper had gotten the better of him, again.

"Now don't take everything to heart. I miss him as much as you do. That does not give me any reason to vent my frustration on you or anybody else for no mistake of theirs. Also, friends like yours are to be treasured, I wonder if anybody would have even thought of helping a so called mass murderer", finished Lupin.

"I understand Professor".

The professor returned a nod.

"Professor, Did Sirius and mum quarrel too".

A small smile found its way onto Lupin's lips. "Yes, they did, finally your dad would try to play peacemaker, all the three would bicker endlessly".

"So you were the peacemaker, right?"

"Sometimes … At times they would fight a pitched battle of words, go away in anger and the next day all would be forgotten".

Lupin looked around and lowered his voice, "One black day in our seventh year Lucius Malfoy and Professor Snape had laughed at the three quarrelling with each other. The next day the former called your mum a MudBlood, unfortunately for him her _friends_ happened to overhear his comments. Sirius and James flattened him to the ground and pelted him with hexes. From then on, he would always be a bit choosy of what he said, when the two were around. All the three spent a night detention with McGonagall."

"Professor McGonagall?"

"Yes, she is a couple of years older to me, no, probably, twenty, oh-oh nearly twice my age. Just don't tell her that I told you". Harry was now snickering.

"She was much into teaching I say. I was the eldest in the group followed by Sirius and James, your mum did come around sometimes but she wasn't into our league as Padfoot put it". Harry noted the absence of another name and was very glad.

"I never heard anyone talk about mum though everybody talks about dad". Lupin stiffened slightly and kept looking at the boy in front of him for some time.

"Since, you look most like him, he was excel-".

"Quidditch, looks and just eyes of mum, nothing more?"

Harry kept looking at Lupin, he needed answers.

Lupin took in a deep breath and continued, "Your mum was an excellent student, she was though not interested in Quidditch but she was top in most things, including DADA. She was and is never mentioned by most of the people because … she … was of Muggle parentage".

These words hit him like a thunderbolt. "That means even the teac-"

Lupin continued, "Unfortunately, many of them did think so. We were always there for her, well to be truthful she was more attached to Prongs and Padfoot but we saw it to that that didn't affect her in any way. There were three teachers who never distinguished and they are Dumbledore, McGonagall and the then Herbology Professor ... I forgot his name. I and Pet-".

Noticing the troubled look on Lupin's face Harry realized that he wasn't the only one feeling bad. Thanks to the traitor Pettigrew, Lupin had lost his entire ring of friends. Harry didn't want to even think losing either Hermione or Ron.

"Professor", he said softly. Lupin jerked out of his trance and looked at him.

"Can I call you Remus?" A pause and then a quiet nod came as an answer.

Returning a smile, Harry ran off feeling much better. _First I get Tonks._

He managed to catch her, while she was trying to mend a broken vase. He apologized profusely and mended the vase in a trice. She accepted his apology then threatened to curse him if he acted silly again.

Hermione was still sitting in the room, leafing through some book. Ron was sitting beside her cursing his friend. She never wanted another face off between the two again. In the fourth year, the fight had caused trouble to both of them, they had reconciled only after the first task, in the TriWizard Tournament. At that precise moment Harry burst into the room. One look at him and Ron had arisen from his sofa, eyes flaming.

"She was telling **me** something, you had **nothing** to do with it". Harry felt another impulse of anger but he managed to contain it and was near Hermione immediately.

"Sorry Hermione. I just got mad at you for no reason. I am really very sorry for bursting out like a-", he was interrupted midway. Hermione had hugged him tightly and was sobbing onto his T-shirt. He just hugged her back and apologized again. After a couple of moments, she pulled back, wiping her eyes with a hanky. Harry felt dirty, he had made her cry for no reason at all.

Ron maintained a straight face, "You gave him a bath". Hermione choked over a smile. After some time they were busy talking over Hogwarts, Quidditch, Voldemort, Books (Ron had winced) all other things forgotten. Harry smiled inwardly as Remus flashed in his mind.

"Apparating and Animagi training", Hermione was in her mood, "Followed by NEWTs. This year is going to be real fun".

"I look forward to Apparating and becoming an Animagus" said Ron importantly and added, "Damn the NEWTs".

Harry nodded. He didn't miss the small smile on Ron but Hermione was lost in her thoughts.

"Hermione, What does your marksheet say?" quipped Ron. Turning to his best friend, he mouthed, fifty owls.

The reply said, "Forty eight". Ron was gaping at her, lost for words.

"Just, twenty two you dolt", Hermione was snickering. Ron had now managed to find his voice, "You are bang on your way to St Mungos, keep it up, we won't stop you, _just_ twenty two".

Turning him a deaf ear, she turned to Harry.

"Ten owls", he replied. "Me too", jumped up Ron. "Hermione, you are worth more than both of us", he remarked. Seeing her putting on an angry face and failing miserably, he added in a lower but clear voice, "only in studies". She simply picked up a book and began to read it.

"Not _Ancient Runes and Their Secrets_ again", said Ron exasperatedly.

"Hi Harry". "Hi Ginny", replied Harry. Ginny flashed a smile and went over to a sofa.

"How did you fare?" cut in Hermione, Harry could see her still thinking deeply.

"Eight owls", replied Ginny, jerking out of her trance. Ron was looking at her oddly.

"Any one knows about the subjects this year?" Harry asked to nobody in particular. Ginny had taken a seat opposite him and was looking at Hermione steadily.

"I have the usual stuff you had the last time and will not be taking Divination and Astronomy. Instead Runes and Arithmancy suits me better", replied Ginny, receiving an appreciative nod from Hermione.

"So what are the subjects you two are taking?" asked Harry, knowing who would be the _first to answer_.

"DADA, Charms, Runes, Potions, Healing–". "What's that for?" cut in Ron.

Hermione looked irritated, "I choose what I want".

Before Ron could retaliate, Harry cut in, "In case, **Madam Pomfrey** takes it, let's see". Ron was smirking. She was smiling.

"We'll take it" Ron replied, looking at her with amusement. When she nodded her head dumbly, Ron stated pompously, "Does that stand a chance?"

She replied coolly, "I overheard Dumbledore saying something". Harry heard an angry voice expelling a string of somethings related to cheating, madness and elfs, from someplace near Ron.

"What about you Harry?" That was Ginny. She was sitting on a comfy looking sofa and looking at him inquisitively.

"Same as before leaving out Astronomy, I may substitute Healing for Divination, if it seems to be any better". Ron let out a snort of approval, "I'm with you mate".

"I look forward to the DA", said Ginny showing full enthusiasm.

Harry merely grinned.

"Hi Fred, any news" Ron spoke up looking over the top of his best friend's head.

"The meeting's still going on. I figure it is something big", was the reply.

George who had also entered said, "Twenty people are stuffed together below. Initially, they chatted on some dumb matters related to the You-Know-Who's plans but my mum found us with our _Ears_". Fred remarked, "Looks like You-Know-Who has a good plan at hand. The Order members are thinking of some means to stop it". The four on the sofa exchanged hungry glances. From the corner of his eye Harry noticed the others exchange significant glances.

"I see that Ron, Hermione and Virginia (_Ginny gave him a calculated look_) are **prefects**" Fred sighed and shook his head.

Harry chuckled. "But I am not". "Three prefects – Three pranksters", George eyed the _prefects_ rebelliously.

The three _prefects_ looked skeptical as the three _pranksters_ exchanged grins. "Harry, see us later", quipped George with an air of importance.

Hermione intonated warningly, "Nothing illegal in the house, Mrs. Weasley has been reminding you as always, she won't mind if we aid her".

Ginny spoke up, "I am a prefect too, dearies". Ron preferred keeping mum.

The twins swept from the room, not before coolly displaying two I-dare-you-to looks. Harry stayed behind, his mouth changing into an odd grin.

"Harry, mixing with them will surely get you in trouble with Mrs. Weasley", Hermione told him warningly. Ginny was giving him a shrewd look. Ron was looking at the other two and his best friend, intermittently.

"No I won't", he replied innocently and added dreamily, "Wonder what the Order is doing".

Faking deep thought, Ron murmured, "There are around twenty people, of all sizes and shapes. It could concern us and they won't let us know".

Hermione decided to talk, "They've allowed us once". "No way, my _mum's_ around", sighed Ginny.

Various thoughts crept into their minds. After a while, Harry stood up, "I'm going down" and went for the door.

To his surprise, Mr. Weasley opened it. "Care to join us?"

The four of them nearly pounced on him.

Minutes later they were in the dining room below.

Many of the people were absent, _"Must have left, the main meeting's over", thought Harry_.

"So all the kids have come, I see".

"Hello, Mrs. Jones". Hestia Jones looked surprised for an instant but she smiled in acknowledgement.

Looking around Harry found many people including the usual alongwith others who had picked him up at the Dursleys the previous year. "_Hello Mr. Diggle (his top hat had fallen again, he seemed to be prone to that), What's this? Oh its Dung, Ms. Vance …" _he gave a smile which she returned. _"… our usual crowd. Of course Mr. Podmore is no more."_

Ron was way ahead of him and was walking right into the crowd greeting every one. His eyes nearly popped out of his head as he noticed a lady. Harry could just make out the tight bun the lady's hair was bound into.

"Careful Mr. Weasley", said a stern voice.

Ron hadn't seen the tiny stool right in front. The next moment as his legs collided with it, he did a kind of balancing act but thankfully, did not fall. Not daring to look up he muttered, "Hello Professor McGonagall and thank you". Looking up, Ron saw Snape whose mouth twitched and Snape's head turned away.

Harry greeted McGonagall and edged away. He marvelled at how Hermione could talk to the Deputy Headmistress easily. Ginny and the twins gave her an impish smile, which gradually receded away as their sights rested on a certain greasy headed teacher.

After a while, all the other people began to leave. In the end, it was the usual crowd but alongwith Dumbledore.

Harry noticed all them looking at him, so he strolled towards an empty chair and sat on it, looking at the ground intently. He could clearly see someone missing, someone he liked very much, a person who truly liked him. All the others took their seats. His two best friends moved their chairs beside him. The twins were talking excitedly.

A complete silence settled in the room.

"What do you want to know?" asked Dumbledore calmly. "I will answer your questions to the best of my knowledge".

Before Harry could answer, he remembered his godfather telling him something similar. He said quietly, "_Learn from the past and make a better future_".

"What's the matter Harry dear?" asked Mrs. Weasley.

He shook his head and said, "I had a vision". All the heads in the hall turned to him.

He recounted the short vision that he had observed at Privet Drive. Snape looked almost asleep. Harry had a sudden desire to shove ten bottles worth Dreamless sleep Potions, down his throat. Suppressing his irritation with great difficulty, he looked at the table intently, tightening his fists behind his back. He felt Dumbledore's look fixed at him, for a moment.

"Do you have any questions?" the headmaster asked again, in the same voice he kept for all students.

"How come I saw **Lucius Malfoy** and **Bellatrix**?" asked Harry with a hope that the vision was a dream.

His hope was quashed when Dumbledore replied in a heavy voice, "Bellatrix managed to escape before reaching Azkaban. The latter gave the slip in court".

Harry nodded his head. Only last year Dementors had attacked him at Privet Drive, he was forced to conjure up a Patronus for which he had a trial in court.

Mr. Weasley had accompanied him too and it was here that Mr. Weasley had told him that Lucius Malfoy always used the power of money to get his work, any kind of work done. Coming back to the present he understood with a heavy heart that his vision had been true after all.

He also wanted to know about the whereabouts of Voldemort, about the the Dursleys too. Harry had a sly thought, that told him that the headmaster would read his mind and get any question. The next instant he realized that the headmaster was not looking at him. This idea was useless. He also felt that he wasn't interested in their _dull_ discussions anymore.

"That is all". From the corner of his eye, he noticed Ron and Hermione exchanging a puzzled glance.

With that, Dumbledore got up and swept out of the room and everything was silent. Harry followed suit, before anybody would ask anything.

Minutes later, he was lying down on a bed on the same floor between the kitchen and the dining room, racking his brains.

_"Why didn't Voldemort try to kill me at Privet Drive? Why could he not kill Dudley, that piglet was a very easy target. Hopefully, the curse would burn some of the fat in him. Two Killing curses would have sufficed". "He didn't even try the Avada Kedavra, on me. Does he think I will **join** him? Wonder what he is playing at."_

However, he could not answer it, _"Another question unanswered"._ Sighing, he picked up a small ashtray and made it twirl in the air, as if it would reply to all his questions. Minutes later, Ron came in.

Having watched the ashtray which was now bobbing up and down, Ron began, "Try setting it -".

WHOOOSH.

He rubbed his scar forcefully, setting his wand down. The ashtray stopped twirling midair and fell with a clatter onto the table. 

All the while peering at Harry's scar, Ron asked him "You-Know-Who's doing some nonsense?" knowing very well what it could mean.

"Didn't you hear that sound?" Harry countered his best friend with a question.

His best friend was now confused.

"**Did** you?" urged Harry.

"What kind of sound? Did somebody fa-"

"I heard a whooshing", Harry explained. The itching in his scar had subsided for the time being. "Didn't you see anything?" muttered Ron.

Catching the doubtfulness in the muttering, Harry hastened to add, "Even my scar was paining". Having said so he closed his eyes and relaxed.

A minute later, the table near which Harry toppled over as his fist came in contact with it. Ron's eyes followed the ashtray which went sailing out of the room with the sheer force of the blow.

_Harry could feel his scar aflame and tried to put it out by rubbing it viciously. Trying to get rid of the vision, he was trying to grasp something or the other when he felt a sharp blow, heard a crash and a sharp pain in his hand._

"Harry. HARRY. MATE WHAT HAPPENED?", Harry could hear someone shouting far in the distance. Next, he heard footsteps and he was drenched in cold water. Shaking badly he sat bolt upright, his head spinning slightly. A redhead's face swam into view against a backdrop of a portrait of a snake. He then realized that the cold water was his perspiration.

"**Get the kid**", he yelled fearfully, sitting up bolt upright.

"Which kid Harry?" Lupin was looking at him worriedly.

"GET IT NOW", he yelled again, jumping to his feet but his quaking legs gave way and he fell back onto the ground. "Calm down Harry dear", Mrs. Weasley was quite shaken but she was keeping calm, obviously with a great deal of effort. "PLEASE GET BOTH OF THEM OUT OF THERE NOW", he was desperate, wanting someone to go there _"Why don't they understand?"_

"Fred and George are in the kitchen. Hermione and Ron are here. Even Ginny is here. There is no other kid Harry dear", Mrs. Weasley told him affectionately, while rubbing his back. It was then that he understood that he was in **Grimmauld Place. **He sat stricken and didn't even attempt to move as she set him against the fallen table. The pain in his chest had now begun to resurface thanks to the enormous effort Harry had put in his shout. He began to massage his chest vigorously with his left hand.

Seeing Mrs. Weasley's, concerned but blank expression, he had understood that he had just **experienced** a **_live telecast_** of Muggle torture, from the eyes of the very person who had initiated it. Turning around Remus's eyes met his.

Having realized what Harry could have seen, Lupin immediately led the horror-stricken children out of the room. He gave one look at Ron, who nodded and followed suit, a terrified Hermione in tow. The ex-professor returned after some seconds.

"Harry dear, are you fine?" Molly Weasley was now beset with fear. He had not even talked and the look on his face... Shaking off her thoughts she took his hand. 

It shook lifelessly. Harry did not even acknowledge it.

As she and Remus Lupin walked out of the room towing a silent and motionless Harry onto a bed, one question occupied her head, leaving no room for any other thoughts. What had he seen this time? Some one killed perhaps.

In another room all the children were in deep discussion.

"What happened to him?" asked Ginny, pale as a ghost.

"He had another **_vision_**", said Ron in a tense voice. The twins looked at him blankly. Fred said slowly as something dawned upon him, "So this is how he knew that Dad was –".

"**Yes**", interjected Ron.

"He will be alright, won't he Ron?" said Ginny in a quaking voice.

Ron replied unsurely, "He will be fine". One look at Hermione and he understood that her head was now working overtime.

It was confirmed when she said in a shaky voice, _"If Dumbledore was the only one who matched Voldemort in strength and power, why had he left Harry alone in that house even when Voldemort was able to attack Harry there."_

"He may have not known that Voldemort could attack Harry there, Hermione", interjected Ginny unsurely.

"But Harry always has to go to that awful place every year end", cut in Ron now angry.

"Maybe, he needn't anymore", added Hermione, now a spasm of fear evident in her voice.

"Well, we'll be going now to see Harry", announced the twins deep in thought and made off. "Wait I'll come too", so saying Ginny took after them.

Ron made to get up, when Hermione whispered "Sorcerer's stone, Basilisk, a fake Moody and then comes a prophecy. What do you make of it?"

Ron simply blinked at her.

Note:

So interesting that you wanted to shut down the computer??

^@$% Snape, unfortunately I do like his character too.

I needed to set the stage for the future. Besides, this point onwards Harry's behaviour will change slowly. The friendship between the trio will grow more strong.

It looks as if Virgin- * ouch * **Ginny** is probably in **_you-know-what_** with **_you-know-who_**. This fluff stuff gets on my nerves.

Care to give me creative ideas outta yur smart head?

If you could give me tips about the characters too, I wouldn't mind AT ALL.

See you at Diagon Alley next. I have a feeling that this year isn't going to be like before, whaddaya say? ;-)

On updating the story I agree that there may have been mistakes and a certain _David305_ has pointed them too. Please do read my story and kindly do not hesitate to point out any mistakes (and whatever you liked about my story too). Well, thanks to the person above I have re-edited the story again and here you are.

Gah! It was cunfusin' with the 'he' and the 'she' alongwith 'the others with the others'. I did bungle up badly did I?.

However since you reviewers do think this story is good, I modified it. I may skip mistakes unknowingly, _Too much work in too less time._

GINNY GETTING OWLS IS NOT WRONG SHE IS JUST KIDDING WITH HERMIONE, the Weasleys were being prankish on her, why? You'll know later.

Wanye: A titanic review but I understand (I'll sort out chap 5) and will surely work on those characters. Lily wasn't in the group but I guess I had put it wrongly, its now updated. Many guys told me that 4th year didn't have OWLs I know.

About the OWLs, I suggest you read the story further, how Hermione got 22 OWLs you'll know later. _Hey! I'm not telling in which chapter You read on ;-)_

PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEZZZZZZZ REVIU and tell OTHERS TOOOOOO


	6. Diagon Alley

A hundred thanks to JKRowling for having given us the Phenomenon of Harry Potter. This is my **miniscule** attempt at continuing the legacy.

I have just two words for you … READ ON

Chapter 6. Diagon Alley

_Hagrid was taking a new class of Care of Magical Creatures, teaching about Hydras. Draco Malfoy was sitting right at the back, discussing something very interestedly with a smirk on his face. Hermione was listening with all her interest, taking in every word. Ron was giving out a silent yawn and winking at Harry._

_"So class we shall learn abo't the defense mechanisms of the Hydra. So, who wants to be the first to see it. Seeing everybody taking steps backwards, Harry put up his hand". Hagrid beamed at him. "Yeh kno', Hydras are 'bout fifty feet in height an' you 're th' only brave boy …" Hagrid was saying blissfully, not knowing that he had beaten the daylights out of Harry Potter. "… but this is very small, so you don ave to wory" he finished._

_Having said so, Harry noticed a small head peeping out of the bushes. It some what resembled a snake's. Harry looked down at it and patted it slowly. Then the animal came out of the bushes revealing its whole body, rooting Harry to the spot. The creature was definitely small, **by Hagrid's standards**. Hoping the twenty foot or so thing was harmless and fixing his gaze on the Hydra's head (which was now a good twelve feet from the ground), Harry stood frozen to the spot his sweating hand still in front._

_The alarm bells in his brain went off when it told him with a smile, "You smell good, you must be my lunch. So nice of Hagrid". Seeing three additional heads pop up from behind the bushes, he backed away calling out to Hagrid who replied encouragingly, "It wants to make friends with you, go on"._

_Harry prepared to turn and run. Too late, four of the Hydra's heads were tugging at his shirt and he was tugging at Hagrid's moleskin coat. Hermione was saying, "Wait Harry, I want to draw it". Draco Malfoy was biding him bye-bye. Ron took two steps forward, followed by four more but backwards._

_Then as the Hydra's heads rocketed towards Harry, he ducked, slipping in the process and fell to the ground. When, it advanced, he rolled aside and …_

!! **THUD** !!

"HARRY WAKE UP?" came Ron's frightened yell from his side. Harry saw his friend looking down at him. Realizing that he was lying on the floor, he got up and seated himself on the bed, massaging his painful chest slightly. _"So that was a dumb dream after all", he thought feeling lighter, as his chest pain began to subside and a wave of relief swept through him._

Looking out of the window, he concluded that the time was probably around ten o'clock as the sun had risen to a considerable height, shedding its light on the scarce number of trees and the other houses that Harry could see. _No Hydras around. He breathed more freely._

"What's the matter, mate?" muttered Ron fearfully, cutting through his thoughts. "All was fine till you twitched and flopped over the end of the bed."

"er-We don't have Care of Magical Creatures, do we?" asked Harry turning towards his friend, while taking in a huge relieved breath. "Yeah, we do. It isn't hurting is it?", the redhead asked him again looking towards his forehead. "Nope, no problem at all". The lines of worry on Ron's face got ironed out.

"Are you going out somewhere?" asked Harry eyeing the sparkling green robes Ron was wearing.

"Fred and George gifted it to me", came the proud answer.

"Today we need to buy our books from Diagon Alley. We will be starting in a matter of minutes", came Hermione's voice from the place which Harry guessed could be the door. Turning to see her, he found her holding a book in her hands. Shaking his head as if to knock out his drowsiness, Harry stood up.

His two best friends were looking at him. The bedroom was quite large. In a flash Harry understood that it was the room adjacent to the one where he had read the **Compelling Compendium for Charmwork**.

Exactly at that moment, the last vision, came flowing back to him. A slight shiver sailed through his body and he sunk onto the bed.

"Are you fine, Harry?" Hermione was wearing an expression of pure concern. Seeing the troubled look on his face, she started seriously, "You had better tell Dumble…".

"Yeah, in case you are hungry we can go to the kitchen and have some stuff. Thanks to Fred and George who left the goodies behind for us", said Ron, massaging his stomach. "But you just had some **stuff** now. More will just spoil …" Hermione broke in.

"Harry can have the goodies, I shall sit and watch him", came the sarcastic reply.

Getting the scent of an oncoming quarrel, Harry interjected, "I better get ready. Don't want to be late, do we?"

Both his friends nodded and the three walked to the bathroom at the end of the first floor corridor. Fairly quickly, Harry managed to wind up his bath and to his astonishment, there were robes waiting for him to be worn in the bathroom. He finished his bath fairly quickly and came out feeling refreshed, though the vision still lurked in his mind.

Ron and Hermione were standing patiently. The redhead spoke up rather quickly, "I am hungry, you must be too".

Harry returned a nod. His friend's appetite wasn't alien to him. The trio started a trek to the kitchen.

"Have you finished your Potions essay, Harry?" asked Hermione abruptly, as they reached the stairs.

Before he could think of an excuse, Ron butted in irritatedly saying, "Alright, I'll try to do it now". Noticing the look on Harry's face, Ron suppressed a grin, turned towards Hermione and added persuasively, "Without **your** help around, it just seems **impossible.**"

It was common knowledge that Hermione would always complete her studies before time. At least with reference to studies, Ron was the exactly opposite side of the spectra. He deduced that she had probably found out about Ron's incomplete homework and chuckled inwardly. However he had an odd feeling that Ron was trying to flirt with Hermione. After all he knew that Ron had some sort of crush on Hermione. He grinned inwardly

She replied, "You could do it on your own …", while trying hard to hide the pink tinge which was beginning to creep up her face. Ron interrupted her midway, "…and get a 'T' for my efforts." and announced, "I'm going ahead, mate". He waited as if considering something and disappeared around the door.

As Ron left the room, Hermione turned to Harry and said hopefully, "If he could just attempt writing his homework once…". He threw her a sideways look and muttered softly but loud enough to reach her ears, "Well, he **wasn't wrong** Hermione" and added quickly, "See you in the kitchen". With that Harry marched off downstairs. A pink tinged Hermione took the path to the kitchen, after Harry's footsteps had died out.

* * *

_In a corner of the living room on the ground floor, some of the members of the Order had discussed matters. The main meeting had gotten over just some time back. Dumbledore had left quite quickly, wanting to sort the Ministry work which he now had. The only people left were Lupin, Kingsley, Tonks and Moody. Crookshanks was purring near Lupin's leg and looking at Hedwig and Errol who were perched on Tonks shoulders hooting at each other._

"Sirius will not come back, Remus", said Moody, trying to gauge Lupin's thoughts. Tonks and Kingsley stopped in the midst of their talk and turned to look at the pair.

Remus simply shook his head lightly. "I am wondering about the prophecy that the children uncovered at the Department of Mysteries. I feel Voldemort is out to kill Harry". He expected some counter answer but to his astonishment no one countered him. "You know, I had that odd feeling too", Kingley's deep voice reached Lupin's ears.

Shrugging his shoulders and staring into space Lupin continued, "There seems to some link with Harry and that prophecy. Dumbledore had told us to keep the prophecy out of Voldemort's hands, it sure must have been important. I know that it had A.P.W.B.D on it having overheard Ms. Granger talking about it."

Moody was staring into space his magical eye fixed into the walls, with a ghostly face looking even more prominent as the room light illuminated his face.

"The encounter in the second year was just a coincidence, Remus", said a shuddering Mr. Weasley.

"Still, Harry came out of it alive", so saying Lupin looked at Mr. Weasley who had just arrived in the room.

"In his fourth year. He fought Voldemort himself. Cedric Diggory though was killed. Well, Dumbledore himself has told us so." Lupin paused to regain his breath. He said more slowly, "Now, how many people do we remember that survived a direct encounter with Voldemort."

Lupin was looking for a solid reason, even as the collective murmur, "Albus Dumbledore" floated through the room.

Attempting to lift the depressing mood taking over him, Tonks said, "Harry unlike James seems to be fond of DADA, doesn't he?" All she received was a silent nod.

After a moment of silence which seems to stretch for a couple of minutes, Moody spoke up in a hoarse voice, "Voldemort was **hell bent** on killing the Potters. I remember his Death Eaters trying to get past me, Sirius and Fabian near Hogwarts to get to the Potters. Fifty of them I suppose, all thought the three Potters to be at Hogwarts. They were talking about getting the Potters at all costs. Lucky, Dumbledore arrived on time".

Lupin remained silent, _"Was the prophecy, the doom of Harry or Voldemort?"_ This thought evidently shifted to Harry's well being. He was pondering on something else now. Sirius and Harry together always reminded him of Sirius and James. Now, Sirius was no more. Lupin closed his eyes and gulped painfully as he remembered the vow that they had given James, just before leaving Godric's hollow on that fateful day.

_James and Lily were shaken up but James had been calm since Dumbledore had told them to stay under the Fidelius at Godric's Hollow. He could even remember Lily Potter cradling her son tearfully. James had been silent as darkness itself. Sirius had after constant prodding uncovered the reason of James's silence. It was then that the three Marauders Sirius, himself and Peter had vowed taken a vow of protecting Harry._

_The words still echoed in his head, "**We promise you James and Lily, that in any case if anything happens to both of you** (**or does not** Sirius had added jokingly) **we will always be there for Harry and see that nothing happens to him**"._

_Exactly, after giving that vow, later in the __noon__, Wormtail had betrayed them. Both the Potters were killed by Voldemort. Sirius had been branded as a murderer and was on the run, Lupin had himself suspected Sirius of murdering the Potters. He had been further troubled by a bout of guilt since he couldn't get to Harry after all this had happened._

"Potter's waken up.", Moddy's growl ploughed through his thoughts. "He's fallen from the bed", Lupin was on his feet before he knew it and stopped only when Moody told him that Harry seemed fine and in conversation with his two friends.

"Calm down, Remus", Kingsley said the only words which occurred to him at that moment. Lupin remained silent.

Remus said, "This idea of going to Diagon Alley for Potter and the others doesn't seem to be proper". "Yes, Even I am wondering why Dumbledore said so. The crowd will simply drive Harry mad. Still Dumbledore's ideas always are perfect, Sirius used to tell me", said Tonks, her voice underlined with worry.

"I hope they don't ask him about Sirius", she added. "There will be hundreds of Aurors around", growled Moody.

Lupin thought again, _"Let all of them come back properly"._

After a matter of minutes Mr. Weasley said sternly, "We will be hidden escorts Remus, I suppose we were about to go to now. Ah – Hello Fred, Could you tell your brothers and the others to get ready for Diagon Alley in a few minutes?". Fred had just walked in carrying a medium sized package alongwith Fletcher who was carrying a bag of something.

Seeing Mr. Weasley, both of them stopped in their tracks.

The redfaced redhead replied, "Dad, I'll tell them". Fred and Mundungus exchanged the bag and the package and the former disapparated with a crack.

Mundungus gave a huge smile and sat down beside Remus and the two exchanged a glance. Fletcher then placed the package on the table and opened it. Seeing the contents of the packages. Mr. Weasley said with a grin, "Mundungus, You better hope Molly doesn't see you handling those toilet seat covers, with either of the twins around".

He received a glare, the reply said, "**These** aint covers. They are Fred an' G'orge's jumbo pack of egg shaped cookies for me".

* * *

_Below in the kitchen three redheads were discussing something very intensely. It wasn't everyday that you could catch Ginny Weasley talking at length with her mischievous twin brothers. The three were discussing so deeply that they were oblivious to the fact that Ron Weasley had entered the room._

"Hi you three", exclaimed Ron Weasley.

"Has Harry woken up?" asked Fred the concern showing in his voice.

"Yeah, he has and is fine. Maybe, he still remembers the last vision", said Ron deep in thought.

"Did he tell anything?" cut in Ginny thinking something. "No, he's just woken up.", came the reply somewhere near the cookie jar. 

Turning to the jar kept on the table, Ron opened it and he popped two into his mouth.

"These are really good, George. Have some Ginny", he said munching on the cookies.

"After all, it is us, who have made the Vomiting Victuals after careful planning and testing", responded Fred. He spat out both the cookies onto the table.

Loud laughter exploded through the room. "Oh, we … didn't … mean these … **cookies**", said George choking on his words, as their brother returned murderous looks.

"Hi Fred, George", greeted Harry. The twins managed nods. Ginny was out of breath from laughing hard. Ron was munching on the cookies, determinedly not looking at the three. "Hi Ron …"

Ron simply uttered a feeble hello and lifted the jar of cookies. Harry walked over looking questioningly at the twins. He sat down beside Ron and took the jar.

"Hey, Harry those are just cookies, try these", announced Fred (or George whoever it was) holding up a jar of some stuff the contents of which Harry didn't feel like guessing. It didn't look bad but he only knew the twins too nicely. He gave a half sigh of relief when Ginny announced, "Perfectly **eatable **Chocolate Cocktails or Choctails". She took a one of them and popped it in her mouth.

He looked at Ron, who returned a shrug and joined the others. Ron took a half _Choctail_ and ate it almost hesitantly.

Harry looked at Fred who nodded his head and he popped it into his mouth too.

"This is really great guys", he replied astonished that the twins could make something worthwhile _Really great stuff_. Two small Choctails had managed to fill his stomach fully. Ron took another one of that _stuff_ and tossed it into his open mouth in reply.

"Started a Fast Food Inn?" asked Harry now grinning, as a McWeasleys flashed across his mind.

"Not exactly, Once while we were seeing the dark side of Mum …", started George thoughtfully.

"… when she was raining hailstones…", continued his twin.

"… I asked her whether she could tell us how her cookies were so delicious", grinned George one-sidedly.

"To our astonishment, she diverted from yelling to telling in a trice …", said Fred, his eyes sparkling.

"… and she threw at us the awesome idea of selling **proper** **homemade** cookies too", finished George looking proud.

"Guess what?", said Ginny enthusiastically. "Once these two decided to make them, they've made roaring business out of these too. Mum has even become more cooler to their idea of a Joke Shop."

_Harry knew Mrs. Weasleys was against the idea of the twins starting a Joke Shop. "She isn't angry with me after all", he thought as his heart lightened considerably._

Perhaps, his expression had showed on his face as Ron gave him a bright look and said, "You see if it had been me giving them Galleons, I would be working in their Joke Shop 'cause you see Mum would've kicked me out of the house".

"Well, if you don't study for your NEWTs you will surely be", came Hermione's stern voice near the door.

Ron went completely blank for a moment. The twins immediately disappeared with a 'See you later, work to do'.

"What was that for?" asked Hermione looking stunned and insulted.

"Yeah, NEWTs", replied Ron, now shaking mildly with laughter, "Surely, we don't have NEWTs till next year".

Harry had a fleet vision of Fred telling him _"You've got NEWTs this time, its OK"._ As he turned towards his best friend, his eyes met Ginny's. Understanding that it was supposed to be a prank, both of them immersed themselves looking at the _Choctails_.

"But Fred and George told me a lot about all the NEWTs, he said that there was Healing, Advanced Potions, Curse Designing which, …", Hermione's words were drowned in a sea of laughter from the three sitting around the table. "We don't have … NEWTs … till **next year …** Hermione", Ron was talking in between guffaws.

"I thought …", she was interrupted again as Harry cut in saying, "Fred didn't tell you that, did he?" He unsuccessfully stifled his laugh on remembering Fred talking to Hermione at length previously, just after he had returned from St. Mungos.

Her face fell. She said in a flattened voice, "I was really looking forward to the NEWTs".

Hermione hit her head hard as she realized something more, "Oh I remember now, at the Career Counselling, they had told that it is the **selection** for NEWTs this year. Damn those two. They have even given me the book list. I think …", 

"… I'll won't mind working for Fred and George if we ever happen to have NEWTs this year", interjected Ron now oogling at her, as Ginny and Harry broke into laughter.

The four of them continued talking, when the topic of Neville came up again.

"He is really practising hard. You should see how he disarmed me thrice in a row in the last DA meeting", beamed Harry proudly.

"Yeah, Bellatrix seems to have made a big impact on him", said Ron, looking around as if Bellatrix would apparate onto his head.

"Lavender seems to have taken a liking to him suddenly. I heard her telling Parvati that she would try to ask him to Hogsmeade this year", said Ginny in a sort of offhand voice.

"I wonder what he saw in that ball-like prophecy when it broke. You didn't see it when it broke, did you?", Hermione asked Harry, deviating from the subject altogether.

His heart nearly skipped a beat. Even as Harry's stomach clenched, he couldn't help noticing, that she wasn't meeting his eyes when she said that. Turning around he found Ron and Ginny looking at him fixedly and understood. They wanted to see whether he would tell them the prophecy, that is, if they thought he knew about it. Hermione had planned the meeting in the kitchen. He coaxed his mind to think quickly_._

Making an imitation of a person screwed up in concentration he said, "There was a figure of something transluscent in it. I couldn't hear it as the voice was too soft, add to it the commotion of the fighting going on". He added, "Did you ask Neville say anything? Did he hear anything?" knowing very well that Neville hadn't heard anything.

"No mate, he said was that the prophecy broke into pieces and somebody faint was visible to him", said Ron in a thoughtful voice. Harry though was looking at the table afraid that his beating heart would give away the full truth. He looked up just in time to catch Hermione's eye. She seemed to be doing some quick thinking.

She said, "He said that he had seen somebody like Dumbledore in it but the eyes were magnified".

"Wonder why he never told me then?" Harry replied arranging his face into a puzzled expression, his insides taut. He could tell Hermione was trying to decide something.

Before she could open her mouth, he cut in smoothly, "When do we go to Diagon Alley?" hoping somebody would respond to this excuse.

Thankfully, Ron clamped onto this excuse. Harry could have sworn Hermione had glared at Ron, "I suggest we ask the people sitting in the living room", even as Fred and George apparated right beside him simultaneously with a loud crack, making everybody jump.

"Dad says we could get a move on", George said in a loud and clear voice. "All children are requested to bring their wands".

Hermione, Ginny, Ron and Harry nodded but Harry could feel Hermione's eyes boring down on the back of his head.

All of them separated and went to get their wands. Harry scurried away, silently thanking his stars.

* * *

An hour later Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Harry, Fred and George were in Florean Fortescue with Mrs. Weasley looking over them. They had travelled by Floo Powder.

All the group were arranged around a table. The Parlour was bustling with people. Harry couldn't understand why Mrs. Weasley had smuggled him inside hidden between the other Weasleys. Ron was muttering something as Hermione's eyes were fixed on a bookstore.

"Be quiet Ronnie", Mrs. Weasley didn't look very bothered.

"_Ronniekins_, **shut up**", cooed Fred.

"Quiet Fred, don't you keep teasing him", recoiled his mother. Ron returned a vile smile at his brother.

Harry looked around, his eyes met Hermione's. She looked at him for at while and her pursed lips suddenly turned into a wide smile. She motioned him to turn around.

"Hello Hagrid, over here", Mrs. Weasley was waving her hand over her head.

"Hello everyone", He heard Hagrid's low voice just above his head. "Hi Hagrid", he said turning around, smiling widely.

"Hi Harry, great to see ya in six' yer", beamed Hagrid in a soft rumbling voice. On looking around, he bent lower and whispered, "Remember firs' year. Same table. Dudey's tail". _Dudley__, thought Harry._

The sight of Hagrid itself made Harry feel warm. He simply smiled wider and returned a nod,_ even as he was sure Hagrid hadn't talked in such a low voice before._

"Mum, we could have an ice-cream", groaned George. "Ronniekins would like it too. Ginny, Hermione, What do you say?" Fred was talking something with Hagrid.

"And what about Harry?" asked Ginny.

"We are there, don't worry?" George stated as his prefect brother snorted derisively.

"That is out of question", hissed Mrs. Weasley. "An ice-cream for him too, it would be fine", she said as Harry returned a nod.

"But Mum …", started Fred. "NO", she said, probably a bit more enthusiastically. 

The people next to their table in the Leaky Cauldron had turned over. Hagrid swiftly moved between Harry and the others so that Harry's vision was totally blocked. He could hear Hagrid exchanging pleasantries with the other person. It then struck him that Hermione had told him about his photo in the papers, just as he tried to look by Hagrid's side. He tried to turn away and just in time.

"Blimey, aren't you Ron Weasley", said the person unsurely seeing Ron directly in the face. Ron nodded his head mutely. "You, helped in catching You-Know-Who's followers didn't you?"

Harry instinctively moved his chair soundlessly further behind Hagrid's back as the voice approached nearer. "You were rescued by Harry Potter before, weren't you?" If Ron was shocked, Ginny Weasley was npw stricken with fear. Slowly, two more people entered the group, asking all sorts of questions. Mrs. Weasley looked a bit pale and surprised as well. She hadn't thought about this. The group surrounding them was growing, albeit very slowly. There were five people after a matter of minutes.

Peering out behind Hagrid, Harry saw all the people in the Parlour, slowly and steadily getting up towards them. His anger had begun to rise, _"Can't they just leave them alone?" _Hagrid was shaking slightly, he could have brought out both the girls and Ron easily but Harry had understood that Hagrid was tryng to shield him. He motioned Hagrid to go by thumping his hand on the giant's back. Hagrid whispered, "They will be fine, you will not".

His anger rose further. It was then that he heard someone say in a loud rude voice, "You are Harry Potter's girlfriend, aren't you?" In his anger Harry automatically yelled out, "**No she's not**".

The small crowd that was beginning to form lapsed into pin-drop silence. All the heads jerked around, Mrs. Weasley, Fred and George whisked away both the girls. Ginny was still trembling from head to foot. Hermione was slightly better, she was taking regular breaths trying to calm down.

"Blimey, **Harry Potter is here**", Harry could hear the first person's voice. He could see Mr. Fortescue a short distance away giving him a smile and a wave of his hand. _In his third year, Harry had run away from home after inflating his Aunt, Marge Dursley. Instead of being arrested, Cornelius Fudge had put him up at the Leaky Cauldron. It was then that Harry had been a regular visitor to the Fortescue ice-cream parlour for a short spell and had befriended Mr. Fortescue._

As all people turned around, Hagrid caught hold of his hand and all of them moved quickly out of the Parlour. After a few minutes they were quite far away.

"Whew, What the heck?", Ginny let out a relieved breath. She was still shaking slightly. "Damn them, what do they think we are?" hissed Fred angrily. Ron was looking at his sister and Hermione. Harry could feel three pairs of eyes fixed onto his back. Turning around he got a good shock. A grinning Mr. Weasley and Kingsley Shacklebolt were looking at him alongwith Mrs. Weasley. Hagrid was patting Ginny on her shoulders and she was shaking with each pat.

"Real tough time, eh?" said Kingsley, now grinning.

"It was so disgusting dad", Ginny was talked her face screwed up in disgust. "All the nonsense they were asking, about what happened, that man said …", her voice died away. All heads turned towards Hermione. She squirmed uncomfortably and looked at Harry. He hadn't taken a word of what they were talking about. Ron and the twins walked forward, on noticing what he had seen.

He was busy looking at a huge banner, flashing directly above the Quality Quidditch Supplies. Some one was giving a speech about it, he didn't hear it.

"I wish I had it now", he heard Ron sigh beside him amidst the excited chattering of the various people who were pointing at it. One boy was throwing a tantrum, his parents were too mesmerized to see him. The banner said in clear bold words.

THE FIREBOLT WAS ONE OF A KIND OF THE PAST

WE NOW PRESENT

THE THUNDERBOLT

THE ULTIMATE IN FLYING EXPERIENCE.

PERFECT CONTROL, BALANCE AND PRECISION - NAVIGATE CURVES, L-BENDS, SOMERSAULTS, U-BENDS AND BRAKE INSTANTLY AT SPEEDS WHICH YOU ALWAYS DESIRED.

MADE FROM UNBREAKABLE METALLIC ALLOY WHICH MAKES IT WEIGHTLESS. DON'T EVEN FEEL THE WEIGHT OF THE THUNDERBOLT AS YOU CARRY IT AROUND.

PERFECTLY DESIGNED ULTRA THIN ALLOY TWIGS MAKE FOR EXCELLENT AERODYNAMICS WHICH GIVE THE BEST STABILITY AT HIGH SPEEDS.

TOTALLY TAMPER PROOF - EXCEPTING THE OWNER NO ONE ELSE CAN BEWITCH IT.

EACH BROOMSTICK HAS ITS OWN REGISTRATION NUMBER. 

SUPERFAST ACCELERATION AT 230 MILES AN HOUR IN 8 SECONDS UPGRADABLE TO 250 MILES PER HOUR IN 8 SECONDS, COMBINED WITH UNBREAKABLE INSTANT BRAKING CHARMS ENSURE SAFE USAGE OF BROOM. FOLDABLE AND CAN BE EASILY STORED.

UNDETECTABLE ANTI-THEFT CHARMS ALLOW THE OWNER TO KNOW ABOUT HIS BROOM ANYWHERE ON EARTH.

BROOM STICK SERVICING KIT AT LOWER PRICES IF BOUGHT ALONGWITH THE BROOM

PRICES CAN BE NEGOTIATED.

"Welcome to the Quality Quidditch Supplies", someone said sweetly.

"Uh … Yeah", he replied. Loud laughter erupted from behind him. He heard Ron sigh and both of them exchanged a nod. Apparently, Ron had been locked onto the banner too.

"It ten minutes since you four were staring at that banner". Harry and Ron turned towards Mrs. Weasley. Fred and Ginny were still looking at it but with an ice-cream in hand. All the others were busy with ice-creams too.

"What about us?" asked Ron, staring at Fred who was surprised at the ice-cream in his hand. Ginny was still busy with the banner.

"Mr. Rockwell, two for them please", announced George, his nose high in the air. A person came out from the adjacent pub. Minutes later Harry and Ron were sucking on two excellent multiflavoured ice-creams, with the others sitting in the pub. Kingsley and Mr. Weasley were on sharp lookout for trouble.

Hagrid was taking a swig from an exceptionally large jar of beer. Mrs. Weasley was telling Hagrid something about unhealthy habits.

"Aren't these great?" cooed Hermione "How'd you make it?" she asked looking interested.

Fred and George looked at each other and replied together, "That you had better not ask".

Seeing her face, Ron and Ginny snorted into their respective ice-creams.

Having finishing the ice-creams, Harry stood up and he was got a rude surprise. The scene in front of him was fluttering like a flag. He dropped to the chair with wobbly knees, wondering whether his specs needed ot be changed. The other alternative was of course Voldemort. Oddly, his scar hadn't hurt. The twins looked at him and Fred strolled upto him, "Sorry Harry, I forgot to tell that dumb idiot that we needed the usual ice-creams. He has given you the _Cool Concussions_".

The _what_. Harry sat down on the chair, _"At least, the ice-cream is of the Joke Shop"_. He simply tried looking around, through his fluttering vision.

Mrs. Weasley however didn't know. She was looking on terrifiedly as Ron's body shook sideways. Ginny was cursing the twins horribly, she had already closed her eyes. Hermione was blinking her eyes furiously and rubbing her eyes with a hanky.

"You two, What was in the ice-cream?", Mrs. Weasley said in a low voice, trembling with fury. The smile on the twins' faces faded out smoothly.

"Oh … You see … Mum … That man …", gulped Fred as his mother got up angrily.

"Ca'm down Mrs. Weasley, its that ice-cream I suppose. Kool Coksuhn I think", rumbled Hagrid's voice. He continued, "It gives a sort of fluttering image in front of your eyes does it".

"It is _Cool Concussion_ but how did you know?", asked the twins together, both totally stumped.

Harry saw Hagrid break into a huge smile, "I hear the teach'rs talk abut them. They seem'd to like it".

"I bet my wand Snape hates it. He can very well do with a concussion, but higher up", whispered Ron. Harry nodded his head reflexively.

Even since he had entered Diagon Alley, a strange feeling that many people were watching him had taken over. He turned around as if searching for someone. His mind was now alerted. He saw Ron arch his brows and replied by shaking his head.

"What it Harry dear? Fred …", started Mrs. Weasley but Harry cut her off by assuring her that he was fine. She was still angry at Fred and George though.

As Ginny and Hermione nodded nauseously, she gave up and went off to join Kingsley, Arthur Weasley and Hagrid. The twins were talking something between.themselves.

Even as Harry was hearing Hermione who had started on her house elf liberation front, he could feel many eyes fixed on him. Instinctively, he clutched his wand and looked behind. "What's the matter, mate?" Ron was clearly worried now.

On the opposite side of the table both girls had stopped their conversation and were looking at him curiously. A moment later all four were huddled together. He glanced, Fred and George talking with Hagrid. He said, "I feel as if we are being watched by too many people". To his utter surprise, Hermione replied, "Same with me" and Ginny stared at both of them.

Hermione spoke first, "I have a feeling we are being tailed by the … _members_".

He whispered, "So do I, but I feel there are just too many.".

Ginny interrupted, "I think both of you need a butterbeer".

Ron was looking around expecting ten people to apparate instantly.

"Seems odd, I never generally see Hagrid together with Kingsley and Mr. Weasley …", said Hermione thoughtfully.

"I've seen them loads of times together". Fred and George had arrived. Fred took a seat between Harry and Hermione, George sat between Ginny and Ron.

Fred continued, "Don't worry, there are _the members_ around. Seems for your protection, Harry". Ron couldn't help clucking his tongue as Hermione took in a breath, which Ron had labelled the _know-it-all _breath.

It was George who spoke now, "I think they are coordinating their movements for moving on".

Harry stared at Fred as Hermione exclaimed silently, _"Coordinating?"_

Their short discussion finished as Mrs. Weasley, announced that they would get the books now.

The whole procedure to get the books wasn't as bad as Harry had thought. It went very smoothly. _The Bewitching Bevy of All Wizarding Books_, was where they had taken new books. Hermione had bought more books than usual. He had decided that he would get down to some serious DADA, Potions and Transfiguration this time. The biggest problem was that everywhere people would start gather on seeing them. It was becoming very difficult to escape from the public. At last, after all the books were purchased. All of them sneaked out of the last bookstore _Bag of Books_ just before people managed to get to their heads.

With a loud sigh of relief, everybody entered a now emptier Florean Fortescue Parlour. They dumped their books on the big round tables and sat all around it. 

Mr. Fortescue was now looking at them, while cleaning a jar. Harry scampered off to greet Mr. Fortescue. Minutes later he was back, a grin on his face, a medium sized parcel in his hand.

"What is that Harry?" asked Hermione eagerly. "Probably, books", replied Ron keeping a straight face and tearing the parcel open. "Just a dumb bag".

Ron said quietly, "Is that a gift for Hermione?"

"Nope, for me", whispered Harry. Looking at Hermione amusedly he continued, "It has something special". Ron looked at him now thinking deeply.

Hermione made a noise between a hiss and a moan as she pored over her books.

Turning to Ron he said, "You can fit any number of books into it and never feel the weight". Hermione was looking at him now.

Ron snorted loudly, "She's in for a treat today". Hermione was muttering hopelessly, "Atleast I study, the bag will be useful to me. All my plans for the 6th year, SPEW…". 

Harry and Ron tore away their eyes from each other.

He set the bag onto the table as Hermione looked longingly before switching over to her own pile of books.

Turning around, Harry let out a strangled groan.

Colin Creevey and Dennis Creevey were headed towards him tugging their parents along. He could hear Herrmione moan, "Not any more" and her head was on the pile of books. "Hi Harry" said Colin out of breath, Harry managed to keep a straight face and nodded with a forced smile.

For some some the Creeveys and Weasleys were talking. Ron was getting massively irritated as the younger Creevey was bent on getting details about his classes, books, Potions. Thankfully, Hermione and Ginny were kept occupied by Colin who was shooting intermittent smiles at Harry. He had put down his head on the table and closed his eyes.

After the Creeveys had talked to Harry (he was relieved that the elders Creeveys weren't like their kids), they moved on. As the evening approached the number of people began to swell. Harry had a feeling, the people were gathered to talk to them. However, even the Weasleys and Hermione were neglecting everybody else.

For quite a while, all of them were relaxing. Some people around were starting to edge nearer towards their group.

Mrs. Weasley announced, "OK, so we make a move on now".

She and Mr. Weasley didn't seem to be a bit tired, they were talking in full swing. Kingsley on the other hand was conversing with Fred and George in his deep voice. After a while Harry was surprised to see the twins sell off another fake wand. Fred (or George) met his eyes and winked. Ron was humming a familiar tune along the lines of the Weird Sisters. Nobody made an attempt to move.

Grinning back Harry settled down on a chair, sipping some water. The odd feeling that he was being watched had still not settled. Ginny walked over from the other side of the table and sat beside him, looking fidgety. She kept looking at him for a while. It was after some time that she spoke up, "There are too many people around".

Harry nodded his head now he was sure that many people were near them. 

"Is is hurting again?" asked Ginny her voice now shaking. "Yeah, happens all the time", he replied casually, his hand was rubbing his scar. This had become almost natural for him. It was then that a cold feeling shot through his head and he stood up. Hermione and Ron was peering at him now.

"What the hell is it mate?" Ron was now more alarmed. Hermione had called out to Mrs. Weasley.

Harry had clutched his wand in his hand and already stood up surveying the surroundings. All the others stopped all their activites and looked at him. He could feel hundreds of eyes concentrated on him.

"Pick up your wands", he hissed. All of them stared blankly at him. Mrs. Weasley was coming over to him her brows curved in worry, "Harry dear, you must be tired. Why don't you sit down for some time?". From the corner of his eye he managed to notice Mr. Weasley, who was on full alertness. Kingsley and Hagrid had stopped their talk and he could see that Hagrid's very form was now keeping the people from approaching.

Hagrid's rumbling voice reached his ears, "Wha' summat a Harry?"

As if in answer, complete darkness settled as fourteen dementors appeared from nowhere near the book store, as they advanced six more appeared from the same spot. Harry thought his mind would explode as, hundreds of cracking noises occurred. The next moment thirty Aurors were surrounding the people sitting around the table.

A loud war cry of EXPECTO PATRONUM was heard as twenty Patronuses charged down the Dementors. A loud NOOOO told him a Dementor had done its job on someone. The yell was followed by some more. Even as Harry spoke 'Lumos' he saw the Patronuses begin to flicker and vanish gradually.

As the Dementors advanced, Harry could hear his mother crying. He could even hear Hermione's feeble attempts to create her Patronus. He mustered up a good thought of winning the Quidditch Cup and yelled EXPECTO PATRONUM. A silvery mist floated in front of him.

EXPECTO PATRONUM. He could hear his mother pleading for mercy …

His chest was beginnning to pain slightly. He saw Sirius falling through the veil and froze to the spot.

As the Dementors advanced, not caring for his chest pain he gave a loud shout, EVERYBODY THINK OF GOOD THOUGHTS.

Four Dementors were advancing on him now, he could hear Mrs. Weasley shriek and fall with a thud. He closed his eyes praying and his thoughts became worse. 

The pain in his chest was rising slowly, _he shouldn't have yelled_. His dad was yelling at his mother to run, Snape was telling him off, he was falling from his Nimbus onto the ground.

As the form of Harry Potter on a brand new Thunderbolt holding the small Snitch, above a jubilant Gryffindor team swam into view, Harry summoned all his strength.

**EXPECTO PATRONUM**.

A sharp spearlike spasm of pain shot through Harry's chest and he began to massage it forcefully as his legs buckled but he forced himself to remain standing.

A silver stag erupting from his wand successfully knocked out two of the advancing Dementors. The other two made for the fallen Aurors. As he stepped forward he could feel Ginny twitching horribly gainst his leg. As the Dementors fell back, in the light of his Patronus, he could see the outline of the massive form of Hagrid lying on the floor, very still. He forced his watery eyes onto his Patronus. Six Aurors had produced Patronuses which were still traversing on the top of what Harry realized were bodies. His insides melted and he pressed every bit of himself to think of Quidditch.

The Patronuses were keeping the Dementors from advancing quickly but the number of Dementors was quite large. He tried to think but his mind wouldn't work.

As his silvery stag ran through his body charging at the Dementors at the back, he felt contented and warm and that gave him an idea. He commanded the stag to run through his friends and then the Aurors who were trying very hard to conjure up Patronuses. Suddenly, he felt an otter rush through him. Turning around he saw Hermione, she returned a weak smile. Looking at the ground, he found Ron still shivering badly unable to conjure a Patronus.

Harry's eyes lit up even as his chest gave a shiver as his stag ran through some more Aurors knocking Dementors and two more Patronuses shot up, _a lion and a giraffe._ The other Aurors grasped the point and some directed their Patronuses towards their colleagues. Slowly more and more Patronuses originated as Aurors woke up.

He yelled out again to think of good thoughts and that the Dementors were retreating. Next he directed the stag onto his friends. The pain in his chest was much more now and he was scrubbing it with both hands, trying hard not to drop his wand. It was proving difficult to arrest the pain now. His legs buckled again and this time he dropped to the floor, his face twisted with intense concentration as he fought to control the pain.

As his stag and Hermione's otter ran through the others, Ginny shuddered and opened her eyes, and closed it again. Fred could only manage a silver mist before he sank back onto the ground. Mrs. Weasley was shaking badly. His hand was still massaging his paining chest like clockwork but the pain seemed to increase stubbornly.

Even as he looked around, around forty Patronuses were swimming in his view and the Dementors had stopped advancing. But Harry was tired enough, the pain in his chest was not interested in subsiding. He most unwillingly lay down. The chest pain stopped increasing but his scar had started to burn. He muffled his yell by stuffing his fist in his mouth knowing that anymore shouting would rip apart his ribs.

Rubbing his burning scar with his wand hand, massaging his chest with the other, the last thing he ever saw was the fearful face of Arthur Weasley and four Aurors as they came into view and began to fade away.

Even as he twitched about horribly as the throbbing in his scar became worse, he could make out a huge silvery phoenix fluttering directly above his head He barely saw the outline of somebody lift a wand and a jet of white light zooming towards him.

As the cold lifted and the spell hit him on his face, all his thoughts were sucked away, every muscle of his body loosened only blackness remained.

The next moment Harry Potter was lying motionless on the floor of Florean Fortescue Parlour. He didn't even move as somebody dropped beside him and began massaging his chest. He didn't even sense the frightened look of Hermione Granger, nor see the calm face of Albus Dumbledore, last of all the awed faces of the other Aurors.

* * *

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

* deep breath *

Hermione forgets about NEWTs and OWLs (last chapter).

This is not an error. Ginny had answered Fourteen OWLs and Ron had looked at her oddly.

Hint: What can you sum up when Miss Studious started forgetting about studies?

I hope I covered up the previous delay by writing this chapter. How waz et? ;-)

Please do mail your thoughts, suggestions, personal (related to the story ;-) questions (answers), ideas to to karthiks@gawab.com. Though my exams have neared, I will surely reply as fast as I can.

AND

Pleeeeessssseee Leeavvvee a Review


	7. Occlumency

**Disclaimer**: The plot is mine, I swear in the name of the Lord. About the characters, well … you reviu'rs know-it-all.

Go on Read. Leave a review behind.

Chapter 7. Occlumency

Somewhere deep in London, in an unplottable house lay the silent figure of Harry Potter. He lay as if motionless on the bed, his hair illuminated by the orange coloured rays of the setting sun, flowing through the only window in the room. On closer inspection it was hard not to note the untidy hair ruffling now and then as his head shook lightly.

_"What -- live with you?" Harry said, accidentally cracking his head on a bit of rock protruding from the ceiling. "Leave the Dursleys?"_

_"Of course, I thought you wouldn't want to," said Black quickly. "I understand, I just thought I'd --"_

_"Are you insane?" said Harry, his voice easily as croaky as Black's._

_"Of course I want to leave the Dursleys! Have you got a house? When can I move in?"_

_Black turned right around to look at him **Snape's head was scraping the ceiling but Black didn't seem to care**. _

_Harry tried to suppress his smile._

_He saw a familiar scene where his father was toying with a Snitch, in the open ground beside the school lake. Sirius was looking around boredly after a while he glanced James. Peter Pettigrew was gasping and applauding every time James made a difficult catch. Sirius commented, "**Put that away, will you? before Wormtail wets himself with excitement**"._

_Harry couldn't constrain a smirk._

_As the image of the Firebolt seared through his thoughts, all his worries left him and he felt contented. Hanging from the Firebolt's tail was a letter, the letter which had thrown open the gates to Hogsmeade. Harry felt light-headed and worry-free._

_Lucius Malfoy's slit like eyes swam into view even as Sirius, Lupin, Tonks, Kingsley and Moody entered the Department of Mysteries. The resulting fight between Sirius and Bellatrix had begun and was now peaking. Harry's smile began to fade out as Sirius was hit by a Stunner. Even as Sirius fell slowly into the veil. Harry watched in utter despair and helplessness as Sirius's handsome frame slowly and steadily descended into the veil…_

"Sirius", he breathed waking up jerkily. His chest seemed to be fine considering the fact that he had not shouted. As his eyes adjusted to the bright lighting in the room, he saw two gray eyes focussed upon him.

Lupin had a nervous wreck of an expression spread across his face.

He didn't question Harry anything. He simply looked into Harry's eyes and the lost look in those green eyes troubled him. That look reminded him of another person he had known too well. Suppressing all his thoughts Lupin returned a calm and mollifying look.

After a few silent moments He got up, patted Harry on the shoulder and walked out of the room. A part of Harry thanked Remus. The other part couldn't help but wonder at how he could get his thoughts across to Remus, just as easily as his best friends. They seemed to understand each other. Words weren't needed.

It was only then he realized that one of his hand was rubbing his scar fiercely, which was no longer hurting.

Overpowering the desire to lie down again, Harry supported his back against the bed and lay back, welcoming the hollow silence in the room. Even as he did so, many thoughts deluged him …

* * *

A floor below, Mrs. Weasley was sitting in the living room muttering incoherently. The house was unusually quiet, Perhaps, it was the fact that with the exception of Lupin, Harry and Mrs. Weasley, there were no other people in the house.

"Remus, has Harry woken up?" asked Mrs. Weasley who looked fretful for some reason. "Yes Molly, he has".

Just as she made an attempt to get up, he motioned her to sit down "Better leave him alone for a couple of minutes".

"Does he remembers him?" her voice quivered with anxiety.

The statement though not properly constructed was well understood as Lupin nodded and added, "He wants to be alone and is not feeling fine".

"I remember giving Sirius a telling off last year, right in front of him. Hope he doesn't …", she babbled on, lost in her thought. _Only last year Harry had witnessed a disagreement between Mrs. Weasley and Sirius. Most ironically, the subject had been Harry himself. She was hoping that he wouldn't get angry._

"Don't mention Sirius if Harry doesn't", said Lupin in a steely voice though every word he spoke was utilizing a great deal of strength. He had understood this reason. All the last year she and Sirius had been not on very good terms on issues related to Harry and now she feared its effects. All Mrs. Weasley could manage was to mutter something. Her eyes widened as she remembered Harry hadn't eaten anything.

"Is he hungry?" she asked him affectionately.

"Yes he is. I'll bring him down after a couple of minutes. Meanwhile, I'll inform Dumbledore that Harry has awakened". In Lupin's opinion Mrs. Weasley would break down on seeing the boy. He knew Harry wouldn't cry but it would certainly be distressing, besides Sirius was just too difficult a memory to be recollected now. Worse, he knew Harry considered himself the reason for Sirius's death.

He sighed softly and walked over to the dining table. It was laden with foodstuff. Mrs. Weasley was sitting at a corner of the table, not interesting in speaking but her affection for Harry Potter was just too obvious. Maybe, her eyes which were still looking into some point in space or it could be her constant murmuring interspersed with audible _Harry_ 's. Shrugging off his own thoughts Lupin walked over to the table and sat beside her.

At that point of time three people emerged from the door. Alastor Moody walked in his magical eye swivelling in all directions, followed by Albus Dumbledore, alongwith Severus Snape who looked smug. Lupin forced himself to look at Moody. In his school days he wasn't exactly against Snape. He had had his doubts since Snape was a former Death Eater, close to Voldemort. Once Snape had come over to Dumbledore, he hadn't believed it but once Dumbledore had put his trust on that thin, sallow faced s_nake_. Lupin had given in, he trusted Dumbledore.

Once that person had stopped teaching Occlumency, Harry had suffered badly, and now for some reason, the feeling of distrust intensified rather epidemically.

His musings were ended as Dumbledore's soothing voice reached his ears. "Ah Molly get us a glass of tea can you? Severus?" Snape shook his head. "Remus?"

He nodded his head.

Lupin looked up into the blue eyes of the headmaster, expecting something. "Molly, I am hungry but I had better check the food", growled Moody and disappeared into the kitchen, tailing Molly Weasley.

It was Lupin who spoke up next. "He awoke and the first thing he said was -". "- Sirius", completed Dumbledore.

Lupin understood this interjection to be an indication of some important topic the Headmaster would discuss and he fell silent, avoiding Snape's eyes lest his own betray his feelings. Not that he was a bad Occlumens but he knew only too well that his own thoughts were quite difficult to harness at the moment. He didn't have much of a ego left, once having been bitten. It was perhaps this fact that helped him keep his temper well within control as Snape's lower lip curled malevolently.

Dumbledore continued soberly, "This is just the start of the year. Both of you know what happened last time". To this both Snape and Lupin turned to him not at all interested in even acknowledging each other's presence. "In case my memory doesn't fail me, he saw some visions last year." Snape's vindictive smile irked Lupin, still he left it unnoticed. The former broke in using an ironic oily tone, "Resulting in the death of his own … friend".

It came as no surprise that Lupin had a sudden thought of biting that greasy _idiot_ on a full moon night. He sat silently, willing himself to look at Dumbledore.

However, when Dumbledore spoke again, the twinkling in his eyes seemed to have died. "He has had two visions already. He may have to witness more of them this year. Still I hope I may be mistaken. What happens now is just an indication and it is essential that the boy learns Occlumency", the Headmaster looked lost in thought. "There are three good Occlumens we have here. Myself, Severus and Remus".

"The ministry work and the order in addition to the school take away a great deal of my time, leaving me with no other option but to use both of your skills". 

It was Snape who broke the short pause, "So, he will teach Potter Occlumency".

"Remus here also knows that you are a very good Occlumens and it was last year that he wished that you teach Harry. I do say he wants the same this year too", replied Dumbledore expectantly. He added in a slightly faltering voice, "If you are finding it too tedious to teach the boy then I may have to use him".

The Potions Master may have been in deep thought but his expressions did not betray them. He continued delicately, "Potter finds it very difficult to adjust to my style of teaching, Professor".

Lupin looked at his own feet. It was his desire to teach Harry, do something worthwhile. His reason refused to accept his desire. It was better that Snape taught him. Still the fact that Snape had once ended Harry's classes abruptly which caused Sirius's death still continued to bother him.

Snape turned away to look at the Headmaster and replied, "Professor, It could be very difficult to convince Potter." Motioning towards Lupin he stated, "Potter may respond to him quickly".

_Meanwhile, Moody and Molly Weasley had entered the dining room. The cup of tea for Albus Dumbledore was kept beside him. Snape had politely declined to accept anything. Dinner was laid out on the table. Moody looked still suspicious about the treacle tart._

_"I didn't poison it, Alastor", she seemed to be venting all her frustration on Moody. Grumbling, he took a seat on the other side of the table. She gave him a warning glare and stomped off into the kitchen._

Dumbledore's soft voice permeated Lupin's thoughts, "Ah yes, Remus, will you try to convince Harry or teach him Occlumency?".

Lupin's eyes flickered momentarily with triumph but reason cajoled him into saying,"I will convince him".

Through his mild disappointment of not being able to teach, Lupin couldn't help but smile slightly as he glanced the fleeting look that Snape was giving him. He could very well picturise James and Sirius gifting him their wands just to get a glance of Snape.

"Remus, Albus and you too Severus", growled Moody. "Its time for a snack. The food seems genuine". Looking towards the kitchen, adapting a low disapproving tone he said, "Molly insists that I need not check the treacle tart".

"Yes Alastor. Severus, you will be very busy this term and I haven't managed to find any other person for Defense against the Dark Arts", replied Dumbledore thoughtfully. By the way now that you have mentioned him, Remus will you teach DADA at Hogwarts".

"Professor I wouldn't mind. I must call Harry too, he will be hungry", replied Lupin. He glanced at Snape. Lupin concluded that the two blows had knocked out the air from him, as Snape sat frozen to his spot with both eyes drilling holes on the headmaster's robes.

"Well, then that settles it. Ah –Molly the tea is very good. The steak looks really inviting, Severus", so saying Dumbledore took another sip from his cup.

At that moment Moody rough voice shook up everybody, "Potter seems to be a little lost. Remus, why don't you get him?"

The new DADA professor made for Potter, even as Snape got up, spoke to Dumbledore and walked out of the house.

* * *

_A shower of thoughts had encompassed Harry so that he was lost for a moment._

He tried breathing slowly, to relax and amazingly his thoughts cleared. The first thing he recollected was the recent attack, Dementors, a white light … complete darkness. Pondering further, he remembered the last confrontation with the Dementors. Remembering Hermione's otter he smiled but another part of him wished that Ron should have done it too, the various silvery Patronuses, more Aurors getting up and someone shouting _"Get up, think good thoughts"_ _He wasn't sure of it though but he did have a vague memory of himself shouting the second part of the sentence._

Further he also remembered Mr. Weasley, Ginny, Mrs. Weasley, the dead Aurors and **Hagrid_._**

His breathing halted to a standstill. He choked even as the dim outline of Hagrid's figure flashed across his eyes. _"Hagrid couldn't be …. Ron and the others must be fine, they'll tell me. Hermione had a Patronus of course. Mr. Weasley, Mrs. Weasley weren't around but I did see Mr. Weasley", more and more thoughts started to flow._

Even as he tried to stop the rush of crazy thoughts, he knew that Hagrid couldn't be dead, _he just couldn't be, there were so many Aurors around. They would have stopped any thing going awry._

His stomach gave a gigantic rumble. It was then that he realized that he was hungry. Absently, he looked at his nonexistent watch on his hand. His thoughts proved to be more stronger and very soon his hunger lay forgotten.

"Why the hell were we stuck there? What could they be coordinating for? … an attack, no our safety … but they were for my safety only … still there seemed to be just too many people around after the Dementor attack".

He thought furiously, _"It could imply that all that was pre-planned. Many Aurors are dead, rather worse than dead. But then he had spent a full day in Diagon Alley … anyone could have attacked him. Worse, Hermione and the entire Weasley family. The twins had said that the Aurors were for **his protection**". _His stomach seemed to crumple up painfully.

Whatever he said, couldn't still shake off the fact that only because they had taken a small trip to Diagon Alley, many Aurors were now gone forever, all those lives wasted. The Dementors had attacked and he hated to think about the innocent people who would have perished. _"Dumbledore would have surely thought .."._

The thought circulated around his head and he tried to sort it out. That was as far as he got. To add further misery, the previous vision flashed across his eyes and Harry cringed physically. _He thought painfully, "For all those things, Voldemort was the most worthy candidate for death". The thought itself refused to let hold of him. He caught the edge of the bed and crushed it in his frustration, hoping all that was untrue._

Looking around he noticed Grimmauld Place as old as ever, with the solitary sun in the distant horizon beaming at him. **There was no one around**. This had the better result of purging out other memories, albeit temporarily.

_"Ron must be dining below", Harry told himself though he knew Ron at least would be seated beside him. "Lupin was here though, He would have told them"._ For some reason, a sudden fear threatened to grip him. Trying to shake it off, he tried to argue. Since, it was a day or likely to be more, the others could have gone to Hogwarts. However, feeling uneasy he began pacing the length of the room, in the process checking whether his chest hurt. It didn't.

His stomach gave another rumble and an image of a phoenix came into his view. _"Wonder whose it was? Could it have been Dumbledore's?"_

"Hungry are you?"

Looking up Harry found Lupin looking at him. "Yes, where are Ron and Hermione".

"School. Molly saw to it that they didn't get an excuse to stay back. Don't worry, everybody's fine".

"What about Hagrid?" Harry hoped his thumping heart wouldn't damage his ribs further.

"He's alright now but to have survived an attack by five Death Eaters –".

Harry gasped. He hadn't seen any Death Eaters around. Yes, he hadn't.

"Of course, they were present". Lupin looked grim, "We better discuss over dinner"

"As we walk".

"Nope, first we get down quickly 'cause I'm hungry too and Molly is waiting for you. She has Moody for company and I guarantee that he is checking the food right now".

Harry returned a weak smile. He was sure that his questions would now remain unanswered. He expected Lupin to answer but Sirius flashed across his eyes again. In a way didn't he deserve it? With that both of them descended to the dining room below, where Moody going one step further was trying to ascertain whether the bowl containing the stew he was looking at was a Portkey as Mrs. Weasley looked on furiously.

"Harry dear … treacle tart for you here", she called out when the two entered the dining room. "Remus, why don't you sit with him?" Moody was waiting in a chair, one eye fixed on Mrs. Weasley and the other on Harry. Molly Weasley was looking at Harry fondly, "Albus will be coming back after some time".

After some time, all the four were busy eating food (Lupin and Harry had persuaded Mrs. Weasley to eat along with them.)

Moody was making short work of the steak. Thus it was he who spoke up first.

"Nice steak Molly".

"Thanks Alastor, do take some more. Harry dear, Is your chest paining yet?".

"No, Mrs. Weasley".

"All the others and Hermione are at Hogwarts now. Arthur told me that you sent a Patronus after the Dementors", Mrs. Weasley's voice was quivering.

Harry stopped eating and looked up into her eyes, he could see them alight with pride but a small indication of fear was visible too. Lupin and Moody were exchanging flabbergasted looks. Mrs. Weasley had in the morning shooed out all the other children for trying to eavesdrop. The former was the first to recover, "Yes he did and a real good one. Mind you there weren't many Aurors who were able to sustain their Patronuses. Besides, Hermione managed a Patronus too".

It was Harry's turn to be surprised. "How do you know that?"

Lupin was grinning, "Everybody was there, me too. Did you think we'd leave you alone with all the action? You did seem to twitch too much though at Fortescue".

Moody growled, "It was Tonks. She was looking at you for a long time". Lupin chuckled, "A small intervention by Molly put an end to it".

Harry noticed that Mrs. Weasley was eyeing the two but she was still eating her food silently.

"What happened? How did I get here?"

"Your chest was paining too much. You had both fists in your mouth and twitching from side to side", said a very shaken Molly Weasley.

"Yeah, my scar was hurting badly. If I had shouted -".

"- then you would have ripped your chest open", asserted Moody.

"You haven't healed fully and oh those foul Dementors", Mrs. Weasley would have cried if not for the fact that Lupin was looking at her.

He took the seat beside her and continued with the conversation, "Dumbledore sent his Patronus but it wasn't needed, your Patronus had done its job. But your idea of running it through the Aurors was smart enough. How did you find that out?".

Harry grinned sheepishly, "When my stag formed, it went to attack the Dementors at the back, in the process running through me". Seeing three impressed pairs of eyes he quickly changed the topic, "So was the phoenix Dumbledore's?".

Moody was the next, "Yes and if it weren't for the Granger girl, two more Aurors would have been in trouble. She told me your Patronus ran through her and it was then that we and Arthur got that idea. Of course, the other Aurors near you found it long back, you did astound them". Turning to Lupin he asked curiously, "How did the Granger girl conjure a Patronus?"

Harry replied proudly, "I've been teaching them to conjure a Patronus. Only two students were able to conjure them up properly, Cho Chang & Hermione".

Seeing Mrs. Weasley he said, "Ron will do it, I'm sure". She returned a smile, "Dumbledore's Army". He turned red.

"Remus, When did Death Eaters come into the picture?"

He noticed Lupin and Mrs. Weasley exchange fleeting glances after which Lupin continued, "Immediately after the Dementors were portkeyed into Diagon Alley".

"How many of them were killed?"

"Ten".

"Who were they?"

"New recruits, Harry", replied Lupin.

Harry's heart sank as he asked the next question, "What exactly happened to Hagrid?"

It was Molly Weasley who spoke up, "He was stunned but the dementors left their touch".

"What do you mean?" His hands had begun to sweat.

"He relieved all his worst moments. He is fine otherwise. One spell glanced across his body and hit another Death Eater".

The next question came out of his mouth before he could attempt, "Why did we have to go to Diagon Alley?" Just then Harry heard someone enter the room.

It was Moody who remarked first, "Hello Albus".

Harry spun around. He saw the Headmaster walking towards him, that familiar twinkle in his eyes. "Hello Professor Dumbledore".

The headmaster gave a smile and sat down beside Moody.

"Ah Molly I could do with some stew and …" Dumbledore turned towards Harry "… looks like the DA has worked out beautifully", he said warmly. Harry blushed. "The students of your class have exceeded our expectations in Defense against the Dark Arts eh?". Harry turned a deeper shade of red.

"Most unfortunately, Professor Umbridge decided against returning".

Harry couldn't help sporting a huge grin. It was well reciprocated by the others.

"Who will be teaching us this Defense Against the Dark Arts year, Professor?" he asked hoping it was someone he knew.

Lupin spoke up seriously, "I think the person sitting on my chair and wearing my clothes" and to Harry's amusement, Mrs. Weasley rolled her eyes.

Dumbledore spoke up cheerfully, "The students seem all the happier".

By then all the food was eaten, Harry was full. He excused himself and went to wash his hands. Coming back he noticed Mrs. Weasley in the kitchen, directing the water to clean the cutlery and plates.

Seating himself beside Lupin he looked at the headmaster.

"Go on".

"Why did we have to go to Diagon Alley? Remus told me that it was a trap for the Death Eaters. He told me that twelve Aurors are dead".

The headmaster replied heavily, "Yes, and you all were the bait. It took a well furnished plan to carry out but we did catch many Death Eaters".

Seeing Harry's quietness Lupin continued, "A battle is never one sided, people kill and are killed".

"Why didn't you use me only? Voldemort does not want Hermione or Ron or anybody else".

This time it was Lupin who spoke up, "That would be suspicious".

Dumbledore continued, "Voldemort is another symbol of cunning, Harry. By now you would got an idea".

He continued in a weary voice, "Of course, Molly, Arthur, your relatives, Mr. and Mrs. Granger had been informed. They all had agreed".

Last year, Harry had found out that Ron and Hermione had stayed in Grimmauld Place over the holidays. He had been furious with them as they hadn't give him any news. Now, he found that he didn't get angry. Now, he knew very well why they hadn't told him. The scar connected him to Voldemort and it meant Voldemort could see through his eyes. The converse was true too. Blinking his eyes, he nodded silently and stared at his plate as the candlelight reflected the writing _BLACK_ on the fork.

Voldemort had killed Sirius, using Harry as a tool, the weapon. He hated himself. Just then he caught sight of Moody's magical eye looking at him.

He straightened up and looked at the Headmaster. It was then that Lupin placed his hand on his shoulder.

Dumbledore spoke up, almost pleadingly, "Harry, this year I want you to learn Occlumency. You must learn under Professor Snape".

Harry looked back at the headmaster_ "Not Snape". The hatred that had been coursing through him since last year now reared its head._

"Not Snape, **never**", he hissed back. "Professor, Why don't you teach me?"

This time it was Lupin who spoke up, "Harry, Professor Dumbledore has a lot of work in and out of the school, at the ministry and -".

"Can't someone else teach me? **I don't want Snape to teach me OCCLUMENCY**", Harry yelled back and turned away. 

A spasm of pain though much less intense now shot through his chest and he began massaging his chest forcefully. _"I shouldn't have shouted"._

"Is your chest hurting again Harry dear?" Harry looked to his side to see Mrs. Weasley emerging from the doorway. As she came nearer he could see that she looked worried, thin lines of concern were etched all across her forehead. He felt slightly uneasy.

Lupin who had been sitting quietly, folded his hands together, the reddish light of the sun from the far window reflected in his gray eyes. Dumbledore looked more weary. Moody stood up spoke something to the Headmaster and walked towards the window. Harry heard a hoot. Turning around he saw Moody analyse the OWL from a distance after which he took the letter tied to its leg. He and the headmaster were engaged in some conversation for some time. Dumbledore walked towards Harry and spoke in a low pained voice, "You must do your Occlumency, this time, Harry". Lupin stood up returned a curt nod and the headmaster and Moody disapparated right in front of their eyes.

Harry turned towards Lupin and asked, "Remus, will you teach me?"

Lupin looked at him for a while and replied, "I cannot teach you, Harry".

Harry stared at him. Slowly, his anger began to resurface, _"Why Snape always?"_. Mrs. Weasley interrupted, "But why -" and stopped when Lupin raised his hand.

"Why can't you teach me?"

"Because you seem to have forgotten something important that happened in the fireplace last year".

Harry's anger kept increasing. As he saw Lupin's fixed look, slowly a feeling of dread gradually began to replace his anger. _"What had he forgotten? Well if Lupin was reminding hi--"_

Lupin's words cut across his thoughts. "Last year when you met me and Sirius in the fireplace, did you see Sirius's reaction when you told him that Snape had stopped taking Occlumency?"

Harry only too nicely remembered it._ That day he and Hermione had used Umbridge's fireplace to talk to Sirius._

_''He told me he'd never teach me Occlumency again,' said Harry indifferently, 'like that's a big disappoint—_

_'He WHAT?' shouted Sirius, causing Harry to jump and inhale a mouthful of ashes. 'Are you serious, Harry?' said Lupin quickly. 'He's stopped giving you lessons?'_

_ 'Yeah,' said Harry, surprised at what he considered a great over-reaction. 'But it's OK, I don't care, it's a bit of a relief to tell you the — '_

_'I'm coming up there to have a word with Snape!' said Sirius forcefully, and he actually made to stand up, but Lupin wrenched him back down again._

"So?" asked Harry, now dreading what more he would have to face.

"Sirius had said that he would come to Hogwarts to have a word with Snape", replied Lupin calmly.

"Yes so?" Harry was confused. "He didn't mean it". _Another part of him thought, "or did he"_

"Didn't you notice how he stood up instantly? He was even ready to talk to Snape, risking the trip to Hogwarts. What makes you think he agreed to Snape teaching you Occlumency, though both of us knew that I know Occlumency too?"

Harry remained silent for a while but his eyes gave away his efforts. After a few seconds as Dumbledore's words came to him, he replied with great difficulty, "He – he loved me". He turned to look at the ground realizing what he had said.

Lupin looked to be debating something internally, it seemed to be with the greatest difficulty that he managed to speak, "To be precise, Sirius loved you more than himself, than anybody else. Though I know Occlumency too, Snape is an extremely skilled Occlumens and Sirius knew that. If you would learn from him, he and myself could rest assured you could be in the best position to protect yourself".

Harry looked at him absorbing every word, "but – but he - Snape stopped my Occlumency classes". The image of Sirius falling through the veil came back to him.

Lupin asked softly, "Whose loss was it in the end?"

Absolute silence prevailed as Harry withdrew into a silent shell. Mrs. Weasley was looking at Lupin, pleading him to stop.

The candlelight on the table flickered again and again with every whiff of air that hit it. Harry sat in his chair, he had to choose.

After a few more moments he made his choice, he hated Snape, the every bit, every hair, even the looks. He couldn't lose anybody else.

"I'll do Occlumency with Snape, Remus", he replied heavily.

"_Professor_ Snape, Harry", corrected Lupin now smiling. Harry just barely noticed the flicker of pride in his eyes.

"All right it is time, both of you can go off to sleep. Harry dear, you can use the adjacent living room", fussed Mrs. Weasley, looking positively relieved.

"I'll sleep after a while, I wanted to talk to Harry-", said Lupin. He looked towards Harry, "- but not if he prefers to sleep".

"I'll stay with Remus, Mrs. Weasley".

Mrs. Weasley looked at them but didn't make any effort to stop them. She hugged Harry and wished them a '_GoodNight'_.

"Goodnight Mrs. Weasley"

"You had better catch up on sleep, Molly. Tomorrow's hectic".

She returned a half nod and walked away, leaving the two alone. They sat looking at each other, when Lupin chuckled.

"She was all gooey eyed when she learnt that it was your Patronus that ran through her".

"er-I learnt it from you after all".

Lupin raised an eyebrow. "Well, I suppose some Aurors asked Tonks about how you were. She asked me to tell you".

"Is she gone on work for the Order?"

Lupin replied quietly, "Ministry. Seems Fudge is bent on winning back the support of the population. Kingsley and she are keeping us updated".

"But what about the elections going on? Surely, Fudge cant participate".

"Exactly and that is why he is trying to get the support of the people so that the elections get cancelled. I hope Arthur wins, Molly's been really tense".

"Why?"

"Voldemort's back and-". He gave a sigh.

"Percy?"

"Yes".

Harry got a sudden odd creepy feeling all over him. He blurted out, "He is fine, isn't he? He hasn't come back is it".

Lupin replied, "Percy had Molly owled once but it didn't turn out quite right. The letter wished his father luck and nothing else. The fact that Voldemort has come back probably crushed his faith in Fudge. You see it is difficult for him to get back to Arthur after what he said last time".

"So he is afraid of apologizing", replied Harry. He always knew Percy to be a little pompous type more concerned about looks and status.

"Not exactly. He probably is afraid of what his father, brothers and sister would say. So he doesn't want to come here".

"But they are his own family".

Lupin sat silently for a while and spoke, "All of us are hoping this sorts out". Sizing up Harry he said grimly, "You better meet Hermione in school as soon as possible". Harry's heart gave a nasty throb, "What's happened to her?"

"She almost drove Tonks and Ron mad, speaking about effects of various curses, jinxes and methods to heal them. For once Alastor avoided her completely", he was grinning. Harry felt lightheaded. All he could manage was an "Oh".

Lupin continued, "Also, I needed to tell you was that you mustn't overwork yourself. Dumbledore has said that one complete night's rest with -" He unearthed a bottle of some transluscent liquid from within his robes, "- this medicine will heal your chest completely".

"Why didn't you give it to me before?"

"Because it was readied yesterday".

"Who made it?" asked Harry though he had an idea of who it could be.

"Healers at St Mungos. They did manage to concoct a good bone reconstruction and toughening potion". Harry's sigh of relief went unnoticed.

"You should have seen _Professor_ Snape some time back".

On seeing Harry look at him, he continued, "Sirius would have run naked in the common room". Harry's lips curled into a smirk.

Having heard Lupin's brief summary, Harry replied still smirking, "Yeah, he would".

The very thought that was nagging him came out of his mouth, "What happened to those Aurors and the Muggles in the previous battle?"

Colour disappeared from Lupin's cheeks and the cheerful look on his face vanished to be replaced by a look of badly suppressed shock mingled with surprise.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Leave a review. _Hermione's starting to rub off me. But this is important._

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	8. Home Sweet Home

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Hope you had a good Christmas (I had Xams). Hope that's a valid excuse for not updating :-)

So now the story.

Chapter 8. Home At Last

_To say that the Living Room of Grimmauld Place was packed would be an understatement. In the span of the recent sixteen years, there hadn't been a meeting so large. Early, in the morning, around fifty Order members had assembled to discuss and contemplate the Dark Lord's strategy and further course of action. Dumbledore had already begun assignment of groups and the tasks that had to be done. The meetings and discussions had taken a large amount of time. Five hours later a somewhat ruffled gathering trooped out, some a bit regretful that they could not see Harry Potter (Mrs. Weasley had cleanly refused them). Dumbledore had escorted Snape and McGonagall to the door. The twins had already left for the Joke Shop in the morning itself._

Remus, Moody, Kingsley and Tonks were sitting in the main living room as usual after the _gruesome_ meeting as the girl put it. In spite of the various developments discussed in the meeting, Remus couldn't shake off the tiny thought of the talk he had had with Harry last night.

Tonks was sitting on a chair looking a weary. She had been in the meeting for the first two hours. It was nothing compared to that of the people sitting around. Five hours of discussion nonstop could easily drain anybody's patience. Though it was three hours for her Tonks was but the youngest.

"Great job", she articulated sarcastically. Moody growled distastefully. Remus cast aside his thoughts for the time being.

"First he orders us to guard **Harry** in that Dursleyan madhouse and now he asks us to guard that **madhouse** from You-Know-Who". She snorted distastefully, her head tilted onto a palm of her hand.

"Three hours proved too tiring eh?" Kingsley's deep voice was easily audible.

Nobody else spoke further, the matter had been discussed at length, she of course wasn't in the whole meeting.

Tonks and Sirius had been quite close, Harry was more closer to Sirius, Tonks even though liked him, never showed her affection openly Sirius always being there. The unsolicited incident last year had held her for a long time in silence. With Sirius no more, her affection was beginning to shift, to another very obvious person. 

Knowing this, Kingsley and Lupin chuckled quietly.

She continued angrily as everybody feigned deafness, "Is it possible that Harry will survive? If he stays here then there wont be any problem? Well, I know that it is risky at the Burrow. This place **is** safe".

"Of course it is-", Dumbledore replied slowly. "-but not for the boy".

"Albus-", started Moody. All the heads turned around as Dumbledore entered the room. Thin lines of worry were deeply etched drawn across the aged headmaster's forehead. "Please sit down, I can explain". Tonks returned a glare and settled back onto her chair.

Dumbledore resigned himself to a chair. She repeated, "Why is it unsafe for **him**? No one amongst us has been attacked".

Dumbledore nodded, "In a way I do agree. Tonks, do you think Harry and Sirius were close enough?"

She looked at the headmaster disbelievingly , "Of course, only a blind person couldn't see it".

"If he gets up every morning looking at portraits of Sirius waving at him, what do you think it would do to him?"

Tonks replied slyly, "I'll have them removed".

"When he walks down the cor-".

She interrupted him strongly, "I refurnish the house".

"It will be extremely difficult to make him forget Sirius", said Dumbledore kindly.

She said hopefully, "With us around him he may turn away from Sirius".

"Have you?"

She couldn't answer.

Kingsley patted her shoulder. Lupin could understand perfectly, there wasn't a place in the house that wouldn't remind Harry of Sirius. The incident last year would have instead reinforced the thought of Sirius, rather painfully.

Tonks asked still apprehensive, "If Voldemort can attack Harry in that madhouse why should he stay there, I know about that charm you all had discussed today", Dumbledore looked at her kindly, a tinge of sadness in his eyes, "It will be easier for us to protect Harry and his relatives from Voldemort in that house alone rather than him from Voldemort and his DeathEaters. Why the DeathEaters cannot enter that house you already know?"

_He **had** a point_.Though reluctant, she nodded in acceptance.

Lupin for his part was a bit doubtful, _Tonks had but made a valid point. Harry **was** attacked at __Privet Drive__. If Harry could be attacked by Voldemort.Tonks had not the knowledge of the charm, unlike others in the Order. _He made to ask a question but he was interrupted. Not by Tonks or Moody but a shrill cry of terror emanating from the adjacent room. The tiny thought that had been hovering unnoticed at the back of his head initially now returned into full focus.

_The previous night Harry and Remus had managed to wrap up their talks quite late in the night. Remus had found it exceptionally difficult to digest the fact that Harry had seen the Muggle torture. Of course, the boy had carefully avoided the subject but the hatred and immense pain in those green eyes proved to be an untainted mirror into Harry's soul. A day after, as proof, the front page of the Daily Prophet had carried a photo of the savaged Muggles and the pitiable child with its legs twisted, its skin …_

_It is said grown-ups seldom have nightmares, the same ceased to hold true for Remus. The whole battle replayed in his mind in all its entirety since that incident. Adding to his misery, the newspaper headline flashed in the end. It was with great difficulty that he had managed to keep that lousy paper out of the childrens' sight. The worst part, during his job for the Order, he had found out was that the child at St Mungos was comparable to a bag of bones and barely alive, the healers were still trying to set it straight. Better dead than alive…_

Lupin shuddered to think what all this would do to the boy. He had never actually bothered about the supernatural, considering the fact that the wizarding world had in an era even classified werewolves as one. Last night once Harry had gone to bed, he had fervently prayed hoping that the one Muggles called God, would listen. In a way it was for the best that Sirius had died, he would have died much worse a death seeing Harry in such pain.

Shoving off his disturbing thoughts he proceeded forwards into the room, Dumbledore had had Moody place a shaken Harry upright on the bed. There were dark circles under the boys' eyes. Harry it seemed had woken up in the midst of a deep slumber. A callous desire of skinning Voldemort _alive_ usurped him momentarily.

"VOLDEMORT'S GOING TO ATTACK … HE IS IN A WEEK …"

Moody placed a hand on the unsettled boy's shoulder and forced him to lie with his back to the wall. Dumbledore spoke soothingly, "First, calm down, Harry".

"He's … Voldemort's going to attack again … His Death Eaters – Lucius Malfoy, will attack in a week", his breath was ragged and harsh.

"Did you see anything else, Harry?" asked Dumbledore kindly.

"No … Professor".

"Do you know where he will be attacking?"

Harry stared open mouthed at the headmaster and slowly shook his head.

"No harm done, Harry". Moody nodded his head.

Gradually, he lapsed into pindrop silence. Seven people excluding him, were now present in the room. Feeling embarassed he turned his head to the wall.

Sitting on a the bed, he drowsily watched a point on Dumbledore's shoulder, reflected faintly upon the smooth face of the wall. _If Dumbledore touched him, that dormant snake would arise. If he looked Dumbledore in the eye, a desire to kill would engulf him. If he looked around, he risked Voldemort seeing through his eyes. If he loved someone, Voldemort would kill them. _The wall visible behind Dumbledore held a portrait of Sirius which kept looking at the people in the room_ …_ Harry closed his eyes before tears could spill.

"Nothing else. That's all", he replied somewhat unsteadily. He could hear several footsteps file out of the room. He felt someone's soft touch on his shoulder. He turned and his eyes met Tonks'. He remembered Sirius again _Tonks is related to me, her mother Andromeda is my fav…_. He simply turned over facing the wall again. He desperately wanted to forget all that had happened last year … but he knew he couldn't, he was the chosen one, a marked man.

He tuned his mind to the month of June. Voldemort had attacked him. He had fought bravely but Voldemort again couldn't kill him. Harry lay on the bed. The question presented itself again. Why couldn't Voldemort kill him? He, Harry had saved Dudley by a hair's breadth, he had duelled Voldemort and this time even as Harry came to grips with the fact, he was surprised by Voldemort's inability to kill him. _The prophecy had predicted about the fight between them in which one would die. I couldn't kill him, he couldn't kill me._

He pondered all that he could, but he didn't remember anything unusual _except that Voldemort looked bothered as he had disapparated._ Harry had ended up for a great deal of time in St. Mungos.

There was only one way, the logical one. Harry got up and walked towards the adjacent room from where Remus's and Dumbledore's voices were faintly audible. He waited at the edge of the door, peering at Dumbledore hoping to catch his attention.

_When everybody entered the hall again, nobody spoke. All were lost in thoughts. After some time a disconcerted looking Tonks, Kingsley and Arthur Weasley took their leave and left. Molly Weasley accompanied them to the door. Dumbledore was left with Remus who turned towards the headmaster instantly._

His voice quivering he said, "He **saw** the last battle at Bracknell Forest. Virtually the whole battle. He asked me about what happened to the Aurors and the Muggles. Professor, he asked me about the kid. He referred to the Muggle infant and its parents by their names. He actually saw them being tortured", his voice shook and died. It was simply too much even for him.

"To describe Voldemort's atrocities, mere words will fail us Remus".

Lupin decided to ask.He looked at the headmaster and asked, "What was the reason for a Reductor, Professor? Couldn't Voldemort have used the killing curse?"

"Because he couldn't. Yet a small part of the puzzle remains to be solved", replied Dumbledore. "Remus, you must be hungry. Even before the past sixteen years, I never have conducted such a long tiring meeting. You had better proceed to breakfast, there is lot of work still to be done". Lupin nodded and made off.

"Hello Harry", Dumbledore entered the room and the door locked itself. The next minute Harry was upright on the bed and Dumbledore was seated in a comfortable looking chair. The two of them were under a Silencing Shield. "It is good to see that you aren't brooding and carrying on".

Pulling away his gaze fom the Sirius in the portrait, Harry kept looking at Dumbledore's shoulder. After a few seconds, he broke the silence, "Why didn't he kill me?"

"Because he couldn't kill you", stated Dumbledore simply.

Harry stared at Dumbledore's shoulder.

The headmaster turned on another light in the room, which glowed more brighter and the Sirius on the far wall was not visible.

After thinking for a while, Harry replied, "Is it that charm?"

There was no trace of cheerfulness on the headmaster. Dumbledore replied, "Yes. I must admit that I had overlooked the fact that Voldemort had your blood. However, as Hermione had deduced much later Voldemort attacked Mungos and you at the same time. However, we were prepared for Mungos, the ministry had its Aurors positioned at proper places. You were left in the house and my guess proved true, well to some extent".

"Gu-What guess? Voldemort nearly killed me and I was able to fight him", Harry felt numb, _Dumbledore had known_. "I think he did want to kill me, Professor".

Dumbledore looked straight into Harry's eyes but Harry was still looking at the headmaster's collar. "The Killing curse, Harry is out of question".

Harry looked surprised but it slowly dawned on him that-

"You forget that I have told you, in the house or anywhere Voldemort can select the Killing curse but to cast it is entirely different", Dumbledore cut in uncharacteristically.

"Then how did I fight and how did I survive? Why did he attack Mungos?"

Dumbledore looked thoughtful, "Harry, I would answer your last question first. The attack at St Mungos was for distracting us so that you would be stranded. To answer the first question to my own and your satisfaction, here is exactly where you come in. Harry, I must ask you to relate your duel with Voldemort. Please tell me all details as it were".

Harry though still puzzled, shrugged and related the whole incident starting from Voldemort's entry. Dumbledore was in deep thought and as Harry made to take a breath he could see Dumbledore's intense concentration easily evident from the wrinkles on his face. _"Just to kill me, Voldemort attacked St Mungos!"_

"Voldemort rolled off the rug, didn't he?"

"Yes", even as he replied, Harry realized how foolish it sounded. He added hastily, "-but that was what happened, I'm not lying".

"I never said that you are lying, it means that my guess proved correct".

Turning to him, the headmaster asked slowly and clearly, "Harry, do you remember any odd sensation in your body".

Harry replied instantly, "No".

"Could you think a bit deeply, Harry. Did you **really** experience **no sensation at all**?"

"No, Professor".

"When Voldemort entered?"

Harry could remember his scar almost aflame, "Professor my scar was hurting very badly".

"Anything else, Harry? Anything similar or out of the way", Dumbledore seemed anxious.

This was getting a bit _out of the way_, "I wanted to hex Dudley". The headmaster smiled and reiterated his statement. "During the duel?"

Harry was quite irritated, "I just wanted to kick Volde-".

"That will do, Harry", Dumbledore's eyes were definitely twinkling.

"So what happened?" Harry didn't have any hope for an answer. He simply relaxed on the wall and waited patiently.

Dumbledore took in a deep breath, "Harry, the charm is now resident in both, you and Tom. When he entered the house, wanting to harm you the charm within his own body repelled him. Of course, the charm in the house naturally forced him to abandon that thought. The charm in your blood too repelled him but you did not feel the repercussions? Strange-". It was then that Dumbledore and Harry looked at each other at the same time. A sort of flicker passed through Dumbledore's eyes and the headmaster relaxed visibly.

Harry felt that Dumbledore was still doubtful.

"One last thing, Harry. Did you really wish to murder Voldemort? I need to know this is very important".

He replied half heartedly, "I was saying so, I wanted to **_kick_** Voldemort out of my house, you didn't let me finish". Dumbledore's mouth opened slightly. "Oh, being around with younger people like you ah- brings out my youthful way of thinking once in a while".

Harry smirked, for once he did believe Dumbledore completely.

"Harry, it is your power, that capability which you have used to a large extent unknowingly and the charm when combined purged him out of the house".

Harry fired another question immediately, "What is my quality? What is that power that you told me of?"

"Haven't you figured it out yet!"

Seeing the surprised look that Dumbledore was giving him, Harry feeling foolish, reflexively mouthed, "Professor, I'll … find out". "_Couldn't you keep shut Potter?", he whacked himself mentally._

Dumbledore smiled wisely, "When you strive for a goal, the worthiness of the acheivement will be well ascertained. Hopefully, those who aid you will benefit too". The headmaster returned to his thoughts, leaving Harry slightly bothered.

"When shall my Occlumency start, Professor?" Dumbledore turned to look at him.

"You will have to ask Professor Snape, Harry. Tomorrow would be a good idea".

All the hopes in him drained out steadily, "Tommorrow! er-Alright, Professor", the youthful sparkle in the ageing headmaster's eyes didn't go unseen.

"Ah, Harry, one last thing. Temper is a mechanism which silences reason in a person's mind. It should be prevented as far as possible. Many people do get angry, I do too. It is but the ability to control anger which moulds a person's character".

Harry nodded embarrassedly.

Dumbledore added subtly, "The time wasted on expressing anger may be utilised for other things more beneficial". Harry looked directly into the headmaster's eyes, _"Was that some sort of hint?"_

A silver streak of gold appeared between the two of them, distracting Harry completely. A phoenix feather.

The headmaster stood up. "Ah- I am needed at Hogwarts, I will be gone now, Harry. Always keep as calm as possible.I regret saying so little but other matters far more important, some of which you could guess, are in the waiting". On touching the feather, Dumbledore vanished. 

Thinking about what the headmaster had said, Harry made his way out of the room. Now, he knew that he was protected by the same charm his parents had reserved for him, it was the charm that had saved him again but what great capability did he have?

"Quidditch!", he cried.

_"You didn't whack Quirrell with a broom"._

That was something that Lockhart would have claimed to have done.

"What did Dumbledore say?" Lupin's calm voice penetrated the dense clutter of solutions in his head.

Harry thought for a while.

"Its fine, if you don't want to tell me".

Finally Harry decided to let it out, "Dumbledore told me that I have a lot of power, which I use unknowingly to get out of trouble. Some capability that I always employ", Harry turned away. Singing his own praises was not what he revelled in.

Remus remained silent for a while.

Harry prompted him again, "Yeah … What is my strong point, if I do have any?" 

Remus scrutinized Harry for a while and asked, "Seeker?"

Harry shook his head vigorously, "I even unknowingly use it, that is what Dumbledore says".

Remus seemed thoughtful, "Still, you haven't realized it … strange" and added quietly, "Really Harry, how dumb can you get?"

For an instant, Harry perceived himself talking to Sirius. Overcome by sudden emotion, he choked midway on his laughter and didn't hear Remus's sharp intake of breath.

To cover up his awkward feeling, looking the other way he queried, "er- A meeting of … five hours?"

_Resolving to go without Sirius had been hard, adhering to his resolution appeared to be more trying_.

Remus breathed freely but Harry was busy with his own thoughts.

"Yes, … Harry".

"Voldemort?"

Lupin replied in a hollow voice, his eyes scanning the elaborate designs of snakes carved on the walls by the fireplace, "This time we know quite something".

"Has he gained the service of any giants?"

"…Yes, he tried expanding his influence, we managed to unearth information related to a mass Death-Eater congregation culminating in the battle at Bracknell". Harry had a suspicion that Remus had considered a specific half-giant before answering. He also knew that Lupin would not convey more information than permitted.

"What is he after?"

"That remains to be found. He seems to divulge his thoughts only to a select few", replied Remus pensively. "This time he is more elusive, Harry".

Harry looked at the sleeping portrait on the wall fixedly, not wanting to meet Remus's eyes. His thoughts sifted smoothly to his best friends, he was missing them the most. A glimmer of hope in Privet Drive by means of his aunt had flared up. Now even that seemed to be going downhill. His only source of solace was the school now. It was a matter of time before Voldemort attacked the school too. As Dumbledore's office entered his thoughts the words of the prophecy flashed across his eyes. He stared at the floor trying to get to grips with his situation. One thing was crystal clear, he despised Voldemort more than anyone, even Snape.

Harry turned to Remus abruptly, "How will I get to school?" _There was surely no special Hogwarts Express _

The answer proved to be tantamount to distracting him efficiently, "For maybe this once, you'll travel marauder style".

He raised an eyebrow, a grin slowly forming on his face.

"What happened was that-" a larger smile made it way onto Lupin's face, "-one fine Saturday evening during an uneventful seventh year Christmas holiday, Prongs and … Padfoot were at James' house". He paused for effect and added concernedly, "Padfoot happened to discover that Prongs was **awfully** _Lily this and Lily that_", Harry couldn't help but snigger silently.

"What did … Padfoot do?" _Saying Sirius seemed to be painful._

"Adviced your dad to travel Marauder style in the night, of course your dad rejected outright. Took a good part of the night to convince Prongs. Finally, Padfoot informed Prongs that your mum um- was er- _pining piteously_ and your dad instantly set out on his _quest_".

Harry snorted loudly. "and?"

Lupin chuckled and spoke sheepishly, "The tiny flaw, in the plan was that Padfoot miscalculated the location, the time happened to be midnight and Prongs landed in your aunt's bedroom".

Harry laughed so hard that he rocked back and forth on his chair precariously and no sound came from his mouth.

It was after quite some time that he managed to calm down.

Lupin smiled and continued absently, "Thank providence. I remember Padfoot suggesting the next day, which we found the hard way was the day your aunt was to get married" His words were drowned in a loud peal of laughter again. Lupin shook his head disapprovingly.

"No wonder … the Dursleys … hate … me … passionately", he choked out still struggling to gain control over himself and trying hard not to imagine his aunt's condition.

After he had calmed down, Lupin dropped a soundless bombshell, "Now its your turn".

Harry looked at Remus cautiously, his cheeks beginning to turn red from pink. "Remus, I don't have any gir-".

Lupin cut in coolly, "Be ready in the living room at 5'o clock with your fully packed trunk. Some preparations are required". Harry goggled at Remus _travel? Journey? _He glanced at his watch, 1'o clock in the noon. An owl entered the room. _Maybe post._ Harry couldn't help noticing that he and Remus were getting along quite nicely. He grinned mentally, _"nicely would be an understatement"._

Remus grinned lightly as he took the owl post. Harry grinned back but he was pondering _who is Remus hinting at_? With that he turned to his room and surveyed it. By the time he reached his room, many ideas were swimming in his head vying to come to the forefront. _Time is ripe, what does he intend to do? Prepare the journey? I'bet it is the PortKey._

Remembering the reason for what the Marauder style was used he blushed shyly, to his own horror. _And who did he say was my **girlfriend**? _However feeling uneasy, he decided on completing his Potions homework, reading the the new books that he had purchased and pack his stuff within the four long hours that lay in between.

_On completing his Potions homework in an hour and a half, Harry strolled around the room. Turning a deaf ear to his protests, Mrs. Weasley hauled him to the kitchen for a late lunch. Coming back, he had brought back a Daily Prophet lying orphaned in the kitchen. It was then that he discovered the photo of the dead Muggles and the poor kid. Hatred and anger slowly coursing through his veins, he left for the drawing room noisily, getting a tongue-lashing by Sirius's mother in the process. He whipped out the Perfect Guide to fighting the Dark Arts. A practice session of various spells and jinxes had followed in varying degrees of difficulty. With Mrs. Blacks's words still resonating in his head, he concentrated all his hatred and anguish in his practise._

Two hours later, his mental agony had started giving way to weariness. "Accliviate". A thin line of brownish green light was ejected from the end of Harry's wand. It hit the ground. Harry carefully placed a step on the same place and his leg slipped. _The spell had worked after all._ "Finite", the ground was back to its former state.

"Wraithus impedimenta". A doubly powerful stunner hit a chair at the far end of the room, sending it skidding four backwards. _This had worked too._ Harry doubled up by practising all the jinxes and curses that he could. In the past two hours, he had mastered the Slip Jinx, Spell Magnifier, the Heating Spell, a Clamping charm and some more. Quite tired he sat down on the bed. Most of the spells were not much of a problem. For some, he required what the book said 'More Magical Ability'.

"_Dumbledore had said that I have a lot of strength which I always use but don't realize, maybe like Parseltongue?", he reckoned._

What bugged him was that in his frenzy of learning various spells he had managed to substantiate the fact that the power of a curse, jinx, spell or charm could be increased.

_I was and am the Dark Lord's most loyal servant. I learned the Dark Arts from him, and I know spells of such power that you, pathetic little boy, can never hope to compete. _These words of Bellatrix Lestrange came flowing back. Harry, now exhausted from all the practice seated himself on a chair and pondered over the statement, with the heartfelt desire to boil Voldemort in bubbling hot oil silently flowing through him. Flipping over the Bibliography of the Intermediate Guide to Defense Against the Dark Arts (Grade 3), he singled out Magic.

There were six sub sections: Introduction, Types, Basic, Intermediate, Advanced: An Introduction, Intricacies.

_"It says 'power of a person defines the intensity of a spell', hence it must deal in the basic layers of magic"_, reasoning thus, he flipped the pages over to Intricacies and found further groups. A certain title caught his eye-

_Intensity of Magic Spells and Curses_

_ Casting spells of high intensity refer The Singular Sinewy SpellBook Anastasia Heather_

_ Generating curses of high power refer Your Source for HiPower Magic Miranda Goshawk_

_ Demystifying Defense against the Dark Arts refer Perfect Guide to Defense against the Dark Arts: I and II Tom Steele_

_ Magnifying your Magical Ability refer Perfect Guide to Defense against the Dark Arts: III Tom Steele_

The fat book lying in his new bag, on the table was titled, 'Perfect Guide to Defense against the Dark Arts: Volume I, II and III Limited Edition by Tom Steele'._Harry smiled, Dumbledore had said "There is work to be done"._

Lupin was on his way back to Grimmauld Place, alongwith Tonks. Of course, both were travelling by their broomsticks now having had a chance. The Order work was quite time consuming, still he had managed to finish it with a few spare minutes.

"Thinking about Sir-Harry, aren't you?" Tonks seemed equally thoughtful.

No response. After a short pause she spoke again.

"Can you tell me something?"

"What?"

"How did you know that Harry was attacked at Grimmauld Place?"

Lupin merely shrugged.

"That was cool magic, Remus".

Lupin smiled to himself, unless he was extremely mistaken, that had been definitely even above magic.

"Did Harry really see the battle at Bracknell Forest?"

"Yes".

"All of it!"

"Yes, he did".

She remained silent for a while.

"What do you think Harry will be doing now?"

Lupin looked at her, a bit surprised. Seeing the restless look on her face he replied, "Waiting for me". She scowled at him and turned to look at the landscape below. Understanding that he was getting too silent for her, smiling lightly he asked, "Fancy a race to Grimmauld Place?"

"Now you're talking sense", she put on a huge burst of speed. Lupin laughed and disapparated straight away.

After a few seconds, both of them were welcomed into the living room when Mrs. Weasley opened the door. "Remus you are early, Tonks!".

Lupin began, "She's got some time off-". "-Which amounts to a half hour so here I come", replied Tonks.

She threw Lupin a nasty glare and asked, "Mrs.Weasley, Where is Harry?"

To this Mrs. Weasley adopted a worried look, "He's in the drawing room, from what I saw he is practising a load of magic. He seems to be deep in practise and-" she turned to Lupin, "-it has been going on from the past two hours continuously. From what I gather he hasn't halted even once, after I noticed the paper in the kitchen is missing, that one-".

Lupin replied regretfully, "He has seen all that first hand Molly, the paper is nothing". Mrs. Weasley took four shaky steps backwards and dropped onto a chair unsteadily. Tonks spoke up quickly, "I'm going to have a look". Lupin nodded and led a shaken Mrs.Weasley to the living room. She didn't seem fine. When Tonks was well out of earshot, Molly Weasley caught Lupin's robes and tugged at it.

When she started speaking, Lupin was shocked beyond belief, "Harry found that newspaper cutting. He ran all the way to the drawing room and … he knocked over a penstand". She looked on the verge of tears, "Remus, … Mrs. Black … the shrew yelled at him. She … she screamed about him murdering Sirius and being a Mudblood, not caring for her son. She didn't stop there. "It was terrible, Remus. The bloody **bitch** followed him-". Mrs. Weasley had begun to sob. Lupin had _never_ in his life heard Molly speak like that about _anyone._

She spoke faster, her words overflowing in a rush of emotions, "He was an absolute mess. I didn't know what to do, Remus? I'm very sorry. Harry ran all the way to the other room. She was still yelling in that room for quite some time. I managed to shut her with a good jinx. Harry hasn't come out since then", she looked as if holding her tears behind with utmost difficulty.

"Please, throw that picture out, break it, jinx it, do anything but do away with it, please". She clapped her apron to her face and sobbed incessantly. Lupin stood tongue-tied. He recovered from the shock with great efforts and somehow managed to comfort her. He strode off to the photo at a fast pace, looking very disgusted. _What had Harry done to deserve all this?_

_In the drawing room Tonks unaware of the exchange was silently glancing Harry practising various spells._ He conjured up a wall.

Pleasantly surprised she remarked, "Wotcher Harry, that was great but it needs a paint job. What are you up to?"

She received a smile, "I'm er-practising spells".

"I can see that. What is … oh- This is a lovely book, Harry where did you buy it?" Tonks was leafing through the Limited Edition book authored by Tom Steele.

"That's a gift".

"Ron? Or is it _Hermione_?"

"**Mr. Fortesque**", his cheeks were surely hotter, he could feel it. "um-I was practising some spells for … school". _"What's got into them?"_

She looked unconvinced, "Great, if my memory doesn't fail me these aren't in the school syllabus-" Harry grinned awkwardly. "DA? Hmm, lets see what you know, friendly duel?"

Harry waited for a while and nodded.

She smiled brightly and walked to the center of the room, knocking over a chair as she passed.

They duelled for some time, then Tonks gave him some tips on how to hold the wand, dodge and some curses that were useful in battle. She was equally surprised to find that he had already practised some of them from the book.

"You can do a Slip Jinx?" she looked amazed.

Harry looked at her oddly, _it wasn't difficult **at all**_. He aimed at the floor below a chair, it tilted backwards smoothly and fell with a _squish_ on the floor. "That's excellent Harry, really well done. People generally do not aim it sensibly or the target does not get adequately slippery". Harry was feeling a bit hot around the collar, he muttered, "That wasn't hard". She beamed at him and Harry was reminded very much of Hermione.

"You need to go to Hogwarts now. Remus is in the living room", she motioned him to go on. They trooped out (Tonks had bewitched his trunk to follow them). In the living room, Lupin and Harry exchanged grins.

"Ready?"

"Yes".

"Come here, Harry. Bring your trunk too".

As Lupin muttered an incantation, Harry realized what they were going to do he snorted in disdain, the simplest and safest mode of transport for now. Exactly at 5:30, that is four minutes later, Lupin gave him a nod. Harry managed to glance it after which everything in front of his eyes dissolved into blurs.

_At Hogwarts, the term was to be started the next day, since there was no one for Defense against the Dark Arts. However, Hermione, Ron, Ginny and Neville were sitting around a table waiting for news. Fred and George had visited them briefly. They had learnt that the twins had put up a bigger shop at Hogsmeade. Many students had gone out, some third years, second years and all first years were sitting in the comon room._

"I was sure the twins would do something like that", said Hermione disapprovingly. She added further, "Nice to know that their business is going fine".

"Yeah, you should have seen mum's face when she found out. She couldn't yell at me so guess what, the twins took the whole brunt of it", Ron added gleefully.

"She was too surprised to even believe that Ha- … how they could have done that but now she really warmed upto them", replied Ginny breathing deeply. Neville looked clueless as to what they were talking about. "Asking of Harry, what is he doing now? The Daily Prophet says that he was nearly killed by You-Know-Who directly".

"Professor Lupin says that he alright", Though she knew what actually happened in the battle at Diagon Alley, Hermione was quite anxious.

"Thats a bummer. He should have come by now", replied Ron thoughtfully. "Wonder who our DADA prof will be?", said Ginny, desperate to change the subject.

"I think it could be _Snape_", replied Hermione now thoughtful. "He has been behind the post for quite some time".

"I'd rather have Um-Umbridge", stuttered Neville now frightened, "Not P-Potions and DADA, never". Ginny suppressed a smile. She dropped her head onto the table looking thoughtful.

"On second thoughts, it can never be Umbridge", grinned Ron. "Neville, did you see anything else about the prophecy", asked Hermione curiously.

The reply said, "I don't know Hermione. Only Harry could have, still I doubt it".

"Didn't you remember something when it broke?" Ginny and Ron exchanged glances.

"I did hear something-", the other three were hanging on to his every word, "- but it was jumbled up. There was too much noise around, Why?"

Hermione wore a look of pure curiosity and answered softly, "I just wondered what it could have contained".

"I overheard my gran once talking about prophecies in the Department of Mysteries, maybe … d-dad told her. She was saying something about thoughts stored in it and sealed with magic", he looked at the ground.

Nobody pressed on the subject any further. All the four were silent for a while.

"How's he doing now … after last year?" asked Neville looking concerned.

Hermione bit her lip she really did not want to answer. Ron spoke instead, "He is better".

"I doubt it", replied Neville, making the others stare at him. "Hope he gets over it. Oh-no, I have some homework left, C-can you help me with Potions? I couldn't get these two done". Ron's sharp look went unnoticed. Jerking out of her thoughts Hermione replied, "uh-oh I can but – alright give it here, Neville". He nodded thankfully and handed her a book.

She began checking his notes automatically and indicated corrections by marking them.

"I hope Harry were here, its really awful-", murmured Ginny nearly asleep. Realizing what she had said she added hastily, "-without DA. It was something worth". As Neville stared at her, she blushed uncontrollably. "I do hope we continue it. My gran was never more proud of me", replied Neville. All the three had noticed something. He didn't seem as shy as before. They were a bit surprised when he reddened slightly, "Do you know where Maria is now? Do you write to her?"

It took a moment for Hermione, Ron and Ginny to understand what he was talking about.

Ron blurted out, "NO". Neville was stunned by that outburst. Hermione replied regretfully, "We didn't get to talk to her, she hasn't even written back".

Neville looked at her knees and asked, "Will Harry know her? I thought she sounded a bit like him". Two redheads adjusted themselves in their seats uncomfortably. "I'll ask him".

All the three looked at each other, Ron smirked nastily and was rewarded with a death glare from both the girls.

"Excuse me, are you Mr Weasley", a small voice distracted them temporarily. Ron whipped around and saw a timid looking second year, who he recognised as Euan Abercrombie. "Yeah, what is it?"

The boy fingered his pockets nervously and asked in a small voice, "Sir, did you defeat You-Know-Who at the Ministry?". All the four at the table exchanged surprised glances. The boy shivered a little. "No, we didn't Dumbledore did it".

"But you fought his Death Eaters didn't you?" Ginny's and Neville's eyes were round as saucers. "Who told you that?"

The boy fidgeted uneasily and replied, "Many people noticed you leaving the school, suspended in mid-air".

Hermione looked amused, "All of us, yes we did together. Even Luna Lovegood was with us", Ron looked at Hermione maddeningly.

"Why do you want to know?" Ginny was on her feet. The tiny boy trembled scaredly and backed away. "B-because all second years were asked to write essays on Y-You-Know-Who, this time. I thought of add-dding this part t-too, if you d-don't mind".

All the four were staring at the uncomfortable boy disbelieveingly, Hermione spoke up, "Let Harry come back. We'll decide and tell you in the night".

The boy gave a big sigh of relief, "Eight'o clock?"

"Ten", replied Ron. The boy thanked them and went back to his seat, looking awed and triumphant. His friends were nudging him for questions.

"When is Harry coming back?" Neville asked again as Hermione got up from her chair still checking Neville's homework. "We don't know, he must be coming in a day or two", replied Ron.

Hermione had already walked to the fireplace still holding Neville's homework, only she was looking at the fire deep in thought.

Green flames erupted suddenly, a person revolved in it and Harry walked out. Seeing her he stopped and stared at her for a while.

"Hi Hermione, where's Ron". (don't tell me you expected that)

Openmouthed, she stood transfixed to her spot, his robes had bits of soot on it. All the books in her hand had fallen to the floor, she didn't seem to notice.

"HEY HARRY", he heard Ginny's voice. Neville was totally flabbergasted. Ron's eyebrows seemed to disappear into his hair.

Regaining consciousness, Hermione pinched her arm, _it hurt._ Looking at Harry she performed a charm, all the soot on him vanished. She hugged him tightly and suddenly pulled away looking guilty.

"Is your chest still hurting, Harry? I'm sor-"

"No its not and will never again. Its cured completely. My trunk is coming too", he cut across her. She picked up the books and walked back to the table. The trunk had come out too. Harry dragged it to the table where all his friends were exchanging bewildered looks.

"Hi Harry, is it really you?"

Harry smiled, "Hi Neville". Ron grinned, "Was that your idea?"

"Who allowed you to come by that?" asked Hermione. Harry smiled, "Mrs. and Mr. Weasley thought that it was the safest way to travel".

She raised an eyebrow when Neville was looking the other way. He grinned sheepishly. Ron interrupted, "How're you feeling mate?"

"Fine", which was true. The mere sight of his friends had flushed out all his worries. He didn't notice Ginny give Ron a sharp look.

"What about school?"

Ron cut in happily, "None, hope this never ends".

"Such a waste of time-".

"-reading those dull books. You agree Harry, don't you?"

Seeing Harry shrug and view the nonstop exchange between the two with a bothered expression, Ginny broke into silent fits of laugher. Harry got to see even Neville smile.

Finally, Hermione cast Ron a look of disapproval and turned to him, "You'd better inform Professor McGonagall, Harry".

Harry nodded and made off. _He was at Hogwarts at last, home at last._

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

There's Hermione Ron Neville and Ginny, hey Luna's coming don't worry.

I read JKR's interview in a site. She has said that Harry and Hermione have a **platonic** relationship now. Oh no?

Oh YES. Putting it blandly, it means that neither is attracted to the other** _in that way _**for now. Gimme benefit of doubt you guys.

That definitely does **not** rule out Harry and Hermione together ;-)

Note: An overly unenthusiastic reviewer has submitted more than one Howler, which does just it, howls aimlessly. Atleast use some better language. I do not mind even if, you giving just one review state the quirks or plus points which you find in my the story. If you don't specify what it is, I won't know where I'm possibly going wrong. That is all. Also, I admit to having not a good idea of Snape's attitude (**don't** snicker -_-). Please do mail me if you have some tips about good ole Snapey.

Happy New Year. One of my resolution, make this story as interesting as possible for you. Bye for now.

AND

**PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW**


	9. The Truth Potion

*YELLS PROTEGO* lets all the reviewer's curses and jinxes ping off the golden shield.

I remember the New Year Resolution jus' gotta bit late but folks, here it is. I'll update the next ch' soon enough, gimme a week and a half and yes I'll SURELY update it.

**Last Review Responses**

David M Potter, John, Wanye, abhijeet, Swordfish-abhi,Kay's Shekinah, John (Hey I'm lonely, leave a review, will you)

Quite some reviewers have told me that Harry's characteriz'n is good. I'll bring the others upto the mark, jus' give some time. _It tends to become scarce when needed most_.

Of course, Thanks to **all** reviewers for your appreciative comments, it definitely gets me going.

Wanye: :-) A titanic review but I guess I've worked on it. The chap.5 is updated. I admit it was a bit confusing to read, its sorted out now. Hey Harry's going to get up, read on.

**9. The Truth Potion**

The golden rays of the morning sun, shone brightly through the window trying to rouse Harry awake gently, in vain. He turned over and covered himself with the soft, mushy blanket surrounding him.

_Last night Hermione and Ron had approached him about some second year boy. Harry had told them to go ahead. As it was, the guilt within him threatened to burn him alive. Deep in his heart he knew he was fully responsible for what had happened to Sirius. Mrs. Black's shrieks still rang in his head … FILTHY HALF BLOOD SON OF A MUDBLOOD DISGRACING MY HOUSE WITH HIS VERY PRESENCE MURDERER OF MY SON HARBRINGER OF DEATH … Harry had woken up. His nightmares were nothing compared to what he felt now. Though Harry didn't acknowledge it, he was hurting badly, the huge emptiness created by the loss of Sirius within him would fill with prickly hot guilt and taunt him mercilessly. He took a large swig of a Potion and went back to his sleep which seemed just out of his reach. Finally, late night he managed to sleep._

Somebody shouted, "Harry, wake up, YOU'LL BE LATE". Hedwig hooted loudly and perched herself on his chest.

Opening his eyes, he cast a somnolent look around. "WhassitRon? llodwig". She dug herself into the blankets and settled down on his chest comfortably.

"DADA classes, mate. It's at 10'o clock. The darn notice says so", Ron pulled the blankets away, as Hedwig hooted angrily and flew to the sill.

"Thisss noffair", Harry turned over in his bed still in the dream-like state. Ron stopped for a moment, "That's true" and proceeded to pull up the hangings.

"Hermione's waiting too, get up", Ron grinned at him. Harry's eyes flew open abruptly.

Ron was at a total loss at explaning what had possessed his friend to brush up, bath and dress, all within a half hour.

"I'm ready", Harry glanced his watch, _"9.50 am"._

Ron raised an eyebrow. Harry grinned back, the _new_ DADA teacher was supposed to be a surprise, _maybe not for him._

Ron looked at Harry's trunk fixedly, "Is there some left?"

As part of the process to heal his chest completely, the healers had recommended the second potion (A Strength Infusing Potion to be precise) to rejuvenate him. He had dreaded in all entirety even the possibility of seeing Snape on his first day, which turned into relief on knowing that he'd have to drop by Madam Pomfrey instead. The short but sound sleep late night coupled with the Potion had done its job beautifully. Speaking of Snape, he was supposed to ask the Potions Master for Occlumency lessons today. Harry groaned.

As far as things went, the whole Gryffindor House disliked Snape for his well known abhorrent attitude towards them. An apprehensive Ron accentuated the fact when he said, "If it turns out to be _Snape_, I'll need it on a daily basis too. Mate, keep aside two pegs for me".

Harry merely nodded, he didn't want to spoil the surprise.

"Nice robe, Ron". Harry had just noticed Ron's azure blue robe thanks to the sunlight reflecting off it onto him. He received a ear-to-ear grin.

"You know what, the twins aren't really as bad as I make them out to be". Ron petted his robe absently, still grinning.

A very frantic Hermione joined them shortly in the Common room.

"Did you lose your bag, Hermione?" Ron asked her innocently.

She replied breathlessly, "Professor McGonagall is rolling up the list of names for this year's captaincy, today's the last date. You both better go before it gets finalized".

Harry and Ron looked at each other, the latter had a look of dawning realization. She rolled her eyes and replied hastily, "Go on now. In her office". Without a second thought, they ran as fast as their legs could carry them navigating the seemingly endless scores of turns and stairs easily, Harry ran directly into Draco Malfoy.

Malfoy raised his eyebrows seeing the blue robes Ron was wearing, "Did the Ministry pay your father with clothes this year, Weasel?" 

By chance Harry happened to notice that Ron was a good five inches taller than Malfoy. The proud Slytherin looked around them and smirked tragically, "Is Mudblood dead?"

He had to pull Ron back by the helm of the robes to prevent him from murdering the Slytherin.

"Potty, you could have brushed yourself elsewhere. I'll have to get another robe now", Malfoy dusted his robes furiously.

"Whenever you wear one you'll have to buy another, Malfoy".

Ron laughed, both of them sprinted to McGonagall's office without another look behind.

"Sorry … Professor!". Panting hard like having run a marathon, Ron gave Harry a quick look and added, "We wanted to enter our names for Quidditch captainship, Professor".

She gave Ron a stern look, "Mr. Weasley, you ought to read the **school letter** which accompanies your results too". Ron squirmed uneasily, "but Pr-".

"It was clearly stated in the school letter that the dates were shifted".

Harry gulped painfully. Excluding the result and the date of reopening, reading the rest of the letter had seemed meaningless. Judging by Ron's battered looking face, even he seemed to have similar thoughts.

"Mr. Potter, why didn't you enter it yesterday?" she asked curiously.

"I was feeling too tired, Professor. All I did was to try to sleep, eat dinner and try to sleep again" and it was true.

"Why didn't you inform us earlier?" Harry could see the Professor's stern look but her eyes told him otherwise.

He shrugged oddly and looked at the floor, "er-Voldemort(the Professor quaked badly) attacked at the Dursleys, I was at Mungos for quite a while. Later I forgot all about the letter". For a second, he hoped the professor couldn't hear his heart now beating faster.

"In that case Mr. Potter-" she adjusted her spectacles and turned to fish something out of her bag. "-do it now". Harry breathed freely, _he had't exactly lied had he_? However, his relief was shortlived as he realized his friend was in a tight spot.

The disappointment and shock on Ron's face were far too conspicuous, not to be noted. McGonagall having her back to them did not notice. Ron started off weakly, "Professor, there wasn't any college before yesterday. Hermione just told me today. We were waiting for Harry". Ron kept looking at the Professor.

Harry thought he detected something inculpatory in Ron's tone. _"Maybe I'm imagining it"._

Professor McGonagall looked at Ron and stated, "Mr. Weasley, I suppose you **could** have OWLed. Isn't this the second time you have forgotten the same thing so obvious?" 

Ron had, as well as Harry. As a matter of fact, in the second year when he and Harry had missed the Hogwarts Express, they driven in Mr. Weasley's car straight into Hogwarts, directly into a gleeful Snape. He mouthed soundlessly.

Harry tried to cover up, "We thought we'd submit it together-". Casting a furtive glance at Ron, he added, "-we'll do our best, Professor. He's done a great job last year too-".

Ron catching on to the idea seemed to have recovered his lost voice and nodded pleadingly, "-We'll win this year Professor-".

"-that cup's ours Professor, we're not giving it to anybody else-".

"-you'll get it on your table, year end-".

"Yeah, its definitely not for _stinking_ Slyt-".

"**Potter**", her strict voice punctured their high hopes effectively.

Minutes later, Ron bounding ahead like a gas balloon emerged from the office, followed by a grinning Harry.

"Thanks for your help mate, we nailed her alright". Harry smiled in return. Ron remarked, "Lets see what day after tomorrow, holds for me".

"Where's Hermione?" he asked further, seeing an empty Common room.

A puzzled silence preceded a bout of understanding and both of them scrambled madly for Defense aganst the Dark Arts. 

* * * 

Breathless, both of them entered the room. Harry couldn't help but register that his watch showed 9:50 am.

"You ought to be on time, Harry, Ron". 

Harry watched Ron stare at the new professor in total disbelief. Lupin now smiling, motioned them to come in and didn't attempt to take any points. Hermione had their bags placed on two seats for them. Once seated on either side of her, the lesson continued.

"How was the surprise?" he asked Ron.

"Oh so this is it" saying thus Ron turned to his bag. Hermione was too deeply entrenched in the lecture to listen to anything. The other two exchanged grins and returned to what Professor Lupin was saying. Harry could see Neville didn't look like his old self at all.

Professor Lupin smiled slightly. "Can someone tell us what a Slip Jinx is?" Hermione had her hand high up in the air, followed by a few others.

"Neville?" Neville who hadn't expected him to be questioned stood up shaking slightly. "It c-causes an object to slip". The class burst into loud laughter, poor Neville looked humbled. Lupin smiled and added, "Exactly, though a Trip Jinx does the same. Why do we need a Slip Jinx then?"

To everybody's astonishment Harry's hand shot up much before Hermione.

"Yes, Harry".

He stood up, "A Slip Jinx unlike a Trip Jinx is always aimed in the vicinity of the target and never on the target itself. A properly fired Slip Jinx can only be avoided by jumping away from **the spell's** target or more difficultly by putting up a shield on its target.

"Very correct, Five points to Gryffindor".

Ron sniggered in a low tone, "Malfoy looks exactly like the git he is". Ignoring the comment, Hermione told Ron, "All because Harry studied, you could at least take a leaf out of his book". Ron feigned deafness.

Professor Lupin had not just confined to theory. "We will practise what we've learnt for which two volunteers will be needed".

Dean and Neville put up their hands. "Dean … hmm Neville … come forward".

"You can fire the curse on the ground, the opponent's shoes, near your opponent's feet but the Jinx will have no effect upon a human. A shielding charm may be used for warding off oncoming spells". 

Lupin added slowly, "While saying the spell, please focus all your thoughts on the curse to have proper effect". The two nodded.

"Ready?"

Dean and Neville had taken positions.

"Now".

Neville sent a Slip Jinx. Much to Malfoy's surprise the Jinx hit the floor near Dean's feet and the latter slipped then fell over.

"I'd really do with Malfoy's photograph", Ron sniggered again.

Lupin pulled Dean up and corrected him. Next Neville almost fell over.

"That was very good both of you, Ten points to Gryffindor". Dean and Neville took their seats.

"Mr. Malfoy … Ron" Malfoy smirked. Ron whispered, "The git is done for-". Hermione pushed him ahead. She gave Ron a thumbs up.

"You have to-", Professor Lupin was stopped midway by a drawling Malfoy "Yes, _sir_".

Ron nodded still looking at Malfoy, now angrier with the git's behaviour. Professor Lupin looked surprised but he motioned both the volunteers to face each other. Harry's thoughts were interrupted by Hermione. "I hope Malfoy doesn't cause trouble", she muttered looking at the two in front now facing each other.

She got her answer when Malfoy shot the Jinx before Lupin had given the go-ahead.

Ron slipped and fell to the floor. "Oops, wrong timing, sir", replied Malfoy, a smirk on his face. All the Slytherins were sneering silently. Ron turned a bright shade of red.

Harry saw Lupin correcting Malfoy, the latter simply nodded his head, "Please fire the spell afterI say **go**. Mr. Weasley, you are allowed to use a shielding charm". Ron nodded, all the while glaring at Malfoy.

This time Ron didn't fall, Malfoy didn't fall either but stumbled as a weak Slip Jinx hit his shoes. Incensed, he sent a Stunner and a Slip Jinx, the first one bounced across Ron's shield and hit one of the Slytherins the second found its mark. Ron managed to stop himself from falling again.

"You were not supposed to use a Stunner, Mr. Malfoy. Five points from Slytherin. However as both performed the Jinx properly, Five points to Gryffindor and Five to Slytherin". Malfoy walked back disbelievingly, he muttered something about werewolfs. Ron came back to his seat, looking very embarrassed. "Malfoy cheated twice", she tried to assuage his embarrassment while throwing Malfoy an infuriated glare.

"Scrubbing the floor with your robes, weren't you Weasel?", smirked Malfoy, loud enough to reach Ron's ears. Ron burned with anger and humiliation.

"Mr. Crabbe? ok … Harry … please come forward".

Harry looked at the professor still hand in air and walked towards the stage quietly, slowly bringing his hand down.

Ron broke into a loud guffaw, the rest of the class followed suit. Harry tried to suppress his smile, in vain.

"Yes, Ron. Any questions anybody?" "Nothing sir".

He eyed his opponent, Crabbe was busy flexing his muscles.

Lupin spoke up. "Please do not use any other spell other than the Slip Jinx or the Shield charm. Mr. Crabbe take your position. Harry take your position".

Crabbe fired a shot at him, which easily rebounded on his shield and hit a Gryffindor. A second one missed him but it hit someone behind, maybe a Ravenclaw. From the corner of his eye he noticed another exchange between an irritated Ron and Malfoy. His anger rose again. Glimpsing Lupin, he struggled to control it and got hit by a Slip Jinx in the process. He didn't fall. Then he had a brainwave, Malfoy's smirk going unnoticed.

Professor Lupin looked at him for a moment and said, "Mr. Crabbe, you must not aim at your opponent but at the ground where he is standing. However since your opponent slipped … Five points to Slytherin". A loud groan issued from the Gryffindors as all the Slytherins cheered.

Harry was suddenly aware of the whole class staring at him, the Slytherins leering. Seeing Hermione's face for a split second, he had an urge to laugh.

"Take your positions. Ready … Go", said Lupin.

To get things into place, Harry quickly fired a Jinx at the ground between Crabbe's feet, much before Crabbe could move. The whole class held its breath. Crabbe's legs slipped out below him smoothly, for an instant he watched Crabbe suspended in mid air who then fell to the floor with a _squish_.

"Very perfectly carried out, Twenty points for Gryffindor. Mr. Crabbe you ought to be faster, never wait for your opponent". He didn't see his friends, instead he focussed on Malfoy.

Crabbe fixed his two dull eyes onto the professor and then onto him. Harry readied himself. Crabbe sent a curse again which missed him by a foot, Harry promptly aligned himself and stuck out his wand, a second later Crabbe jumped aside and Harry fired the Slip Jinx which missed his opponent by two feet.

To his immense pleasure, the jinx streaked through the air and struck Malfoy's bench perfectly.

A loud roar of laughter erupted as its occupant slid through the bench onto the floor.

Harry smirked, "Oops, wrong timing professor". He had the satisfaction of seeing Malfoy's angry face below the bench red as a tomato. 

Lupin sent both of them back. Harry walked back to his seat debating whether he had really heard the professor snigger. Ron and Hermione were pink from laughing hard.

Unsurprisingly, time seemed to fly past much to the disappointment of the class.

"Hope he stays for next year too", said Neville looking very satisfied. "Can't we have him for Potions too?"

Hermione replied patiently, "He's specialized in DADA, Neville".

Dean spoke up. "I hope he breaks the DADA jinx". He turned to Harry and replied, "That was really cool Harry, Malfoy slithering to the floor like a worm". Seamus and Dean broke out in laughter. Harry smiled awkwardly.

Parvati chose to speak, "Harry, are you continuing the DA?"

"Er- Professor Lupin's back. If you think necessary we'll continue".

Nobody seemed to be really interested.

Neville butted in in a small voice, "It is, before the DA, I was a Squib as good as Mr. Filch". Ron was lost in his own thoughts.

"Professor Lupin's a werewolf, isn't he?" Lavender looked a bit doubtful.

Hermione rounded up on her, "So **what**?" Seamus jumped in, "So, that's no problem".

As the last of them filed out, Ron caught hold of him.

"You knew it was Lupin". 

"Yup".

"When did you learn that, Harry? The Slip Jinx was quite difficult", asked Hermione. He was irresistibly reminded of Tonks.

"You didn't aim it on the ground, Hermione, that's all".

"That was unexpected", came a drawl from behind them. Harry and Ron whipped around.

"Get lost", seethed Hermione.

Malfoy raised his eyebrows in mock surprise, "Mudblood **could not** perform a simple Jinx!". He chuckled heartily.

She retorted, "You slithered rather smartly to the ground Malfoy, worm-like that is". Ron and Harry sniggered loudly.

The blonde Slytherin turned to face Ron, "Watch out for her Weasel. They'll have her". The next moment Malfoy was seeing the ends of two sparking wands.

"What's going on here?" Professor Lupin had stepped out of the class. Harry withdrew his wand instantly, Malfoy walked away coolly.

"Go on to the next class, you have Herbology, don't want to be late, do you?" Professor Lupin was smiling but Harry sensed some tension too.

"Yes Professor", the three moved on quietly.

Herbology was Neville's favorite subject, maybe because it dealed with plants. Harry liked it only because it kept him away from Snape, or any dangerous creatures. Today's class was as usual about some dumb plant called Aconite. Finishing it the four of them went over to the lake ,where Ginny and Luna were waving at them.

"Harry, 'ow are y'u?" Hagrid's voice boomed across the ground.

Harry grinned and took a diversion Hermione following behind at a slower pace. Neville and Ron went over to Luna and Ginny.

Hagrid grinned more widely, "I knew dat you'll come outta ina p'ece. Havinga break?"

He nodded, "Two more hours for Potions, I'll hang around with Ron and Hermione till then".

"Dumbledore tol' me that your chest 'as healed. You 'ave my clas' t'morrow, don't you? It'll be very int'restin"

He nodded dumbly, not having seen the timetable.

"Did you like the new DADA te'cher?" Hagrid's grin could be spotted through the thick growth of hair that formed his beard and moustache. Harry grinned back, "Excellent".

"Hello Hagrid, nice to see you back", greeted Hermione from behind him.

"ello 'rmione, Professor McGonagall told me you have sixteen OWLs, very good keep it up".

"Thanks, Hagrid", she stifled a snicker as a puzzled Harry mouthed _sixteen?_

Hagrid was not yet done. "Molly tol' me about ya Patronus, very good" and added inquisitively, "Did you learn it by yourself?"

"No, actu"-.

"er-Hagrid, Ron's waiting for us. See you later", interrupted Harry feeling hot around the collar.

Slightly surprised, Hagrid said, "Do come to meet me summat and bring Ron along".

He and Hermione nodded and set off to the lake.

Before Hermione could speak, Harry began, "Didn't you get twenty two OWLs?"

She replied, "Of course, but I just said it sort of to work Ron up".

He stopped in his tracks looked at her meaningfully. She blushed deep red in reply.

Harry replied, "You two could have atleast told me" Hermione looked at him for a while and replied, "Ron thought he would surprise you" and added, "Now that you say it, I have your complete OWL marksheet. You better take a look at it".

"Why?"

She added with a smile, "You got 3 OWLs in DADA out of 2".

Harry smiled in return, "I guess so".

Hermione rolled her eyes, "That isn't possible Harry".

"I think not". Seeing her confused expression he continued smirking, "I got a bonus point, courtesy Professor Tofty". Professor Tofty had taken their practical DADA exams in fifth year.

She shook her head and said, "You never told me DADA went that good". Harry shrugged in reply.

After a while, Hermione spoke up pensively, "Harry, I really hope either of you gets the post of captain".

He turned to look at her.

"Angelina, Alicia, Katie and the twins aren't in the team. Have you thought about it?" she added further.

Harry raised an eyebrow, it wasn't like Hermione to discuss about Quidditch.

"Gryffindor are in a tight spot, I agree but we better leave it to our future captain", he finished still slightly suspicious.

"Ron does have a good chance, doesn't he?"

"Yes, he does". Harry wondered what Hermione was playing at.

All of a sudden, his scar burnt with such a ferocity that he stopped in his tracks, all his other thoughts forgotten.

"What happened?" Hermione's voice gave away her worry.

"Voldemort's really happy, his plans are going smoothly. He's just waiting for Rookwood to arrive" , the words flowed from his mouth as it were. Harry knew it was perfectly true.

"Harry, you'd better see Dumbledore, meet Madam Pomfrey too", she added worriedly, "and do it **now**".

He nodded his head absurdly and made off thoughtfully. Harry was wondering why he suddenly felt a bit empty.

_She strolled back, deep in thought. Subconsciously, she was in fact thinking about someone else._

_Harry had never looked at her like that before. "He wasn't angry, not at all but …" she wondered aloud not realising that she was blushing._

"What took you so long?" Ron's sharp voice brought her out of her thoughts. Neville was talking with Luna and Ginny.

"Another vision", she replied. Ron took a step backward, "A vision now! Did he see something?"

"Harry said Voldemort(Neville, Luna and Ginny snapped out of their conversation) is happy and his plans are going smoothly. he is supposed to be waiting for Rookwood".

Neville and Ginny let their jaws drop in surprise.

"One more vision!", exclaimed a very worried looking Ginny. Hermione deep in thought removed a paper from her school bag.

"But what is the Daily Prophet for?" asked Neville. Luna looked blissfully unaware of the proceedings.

"A month old paper at that", commented Ron while trying to hook onto the thread of Hermone's thoughts.

She turned to the second page and held it out, "Read it carefully".

_DEATH EATER ATTACK AT ST. MUNGOS HOSPITAL_

_ In a bizarre twist to the ongoing crisis of Cornelius Fudge, You-Know-Who has attacked again, this time at the most priviledged hospital of the wizarding world St Mungos, once again. The Ministry officials had previously, with the help of Albus Dumbledore the eldest and the wisest of all members of the Wizengamot uncovered an attempt to attack St Mungos …_

_ … Many Death Eaters were caught quite a few of them surrendered but the others chose to go to Azkaban. Mr. Fudge has repeatedly stressed the need to do away with the DeathEaters and You-Know-Who but is afraid to even speak the name of the Dark Lord aloud. The Official spokesperson Mr. Percy Weasley has stated, "The Minister currently is busy with various matters related to the attack. Three DeathEaters two of whom have been identified as Avery and Rookwood have given the slip …"_

All the four looked at her. Luna spoke up, "Ron's brother is mentioned". Ginny and Ron exploded into laughter. Neville smiled awkwardly.

Harry walked into their midst and was quite surprised to see Hermione staring daggers at Luna.

"ello arry", chortled Ron now pink from laughing.

"I have DADA next. I'll go on", spoke Luna. "Yeah", replied Ginny and she jumped to her feet. "See you later. Bye, Neville … bye Harry".

"Yeah, bye both of you", replied Neville. 

Harry turned to Hermione and took the paper from her.

"Shall we go **in?**" she spoke up angrily. Neville smiled seeing Harry's puzzled look. "Hermione asked us to read the paper, carefully. Luna told us that Ron's brother was mentioned". Harry chuckled. "Lets go in", sniggered Ron who seemed to have made a full recovery.

Once in the common room, the four chose a seat near the warm fireplace. "Hermione, the fireplace isn't a good place during a hot afternoon", Ron commented. Neville who had begun to move towards the window nodded in agreement, fanning himself with the Daily Prophet.

She began in a low voice, "Now, Rookwood was-". Harry directed a sharp look at her, motioning towards Neville, after all even Neville had accompanied him last year proving his loyalty, he needed to know too. She called out to Neville and continued, "-present at St. Mungos during the previous attacks. Fudge has stated it. Percy has too".

"So another attack's on the line?" piped up Ron. The discussion continued in low tones, Neville had seated himself near their table.

Harry cut in, "What sense does it make if Voldemort(Neville winced) attacks St Mungos?"

Hermione replied unsurely, "A History of magic says that innumerable Death Eaters and Aurors were killed during the last war, I wonder how he heals Death Eaters, Voldemort isn't a Healer himself". She added, "'A History of Hogwarts: Most popular students' says so".

Harry replied, "He probably is an undesignated Healer". Seeing the puzzled looks he was receiving, Harry went on, "In fourth year, Voldemort fabricated a new arm out of thin air for Wormtail, does that qualify him as a Healer?" and continued thoughtfully, "Hermione, if Death Eaters could heal themselves, then they needn't attack St Mungos".

"Dad says there is a steady flow of patients into St Mungos, Muggles, Wizards, Aurors, Elder people Youth and Children alike. Victims of Voldemort's attacks", said Ron thoughtfully. "If St. Mungos goes down, there would be too many casualties. Still people could always switch over to other lesser known hospitals".

"Voldemort could be attacking St Mungos as some diversion", remarked Harry. He added, "Lucius Malfoy is designated to attack somewhere".

Hermione replied absently, "Probably he is".

Hearing this statement, he felt a dead weight settle in his stomach. Hermione bit her tongue.

"Mate, that seems to be the general idea, so why would Voldemort do it?", interjected Ron seeing Harry feeling uneasy. Hermione looked at him for a while and screwed up her face in deep thought. Finally, she gave in, "Two attacks on St. Mungos of all places, heavy casualties in the first attack".

She continued still deep in thought, "In his last reign, Azkaban was captured twice by him. The First time, Dementors switched their loyalties and Azkaban was captured without a fight. The second time, Voldemort (Neville didn't wince as much) set up a dummy attack at the Ministry and mounted a direct attack using the services of goblins and giants. His plan worked well, he attained control of Azkaban easily".

Neville who had remained silent spoke up, "Maybe, he wants to kill all the people in Mungos. There are around seventy wounded Aurors there".

Ron spoke up curiously, "How do you know that there are **seventy** Aurors?" Hermione glared at him.

Neville looked at the table, "While visiting my parents, I saw the nurses bringing in bodies and wounded people. Many of them had the ministry robes on".

Harry put his hand around Neville's shoulder. Hermione still wasn't convinced, Ron replied, "Maybe he's trying to-". Neville got up abruptly.

"I'll be going, are you coming now?"

"We'll come later, Neville", replied Hermione.

"Its P-Potions. I better be early". Neville walked out of the common room.

"So he's spending his summer with his parents in St Mungos", asserted a concerned looking Ron now staring at the doorway. 

Hermione took the paper from Neville and whispered, "Harry, Ron -" she turned over to the first page "-Fudge has stationed half his troops at Azkaban. I overheard Professor McGonagall saying that St Mungos has just around fifty Aurors as guards".

Ron spoke up next, "Yeah, Fudge is a pudding head".

Hermione threw Ron a glare, "Stop calling him names, do you have a solution?" Apparently, the two had been conversing about the Minister of Magic at length before. Harry chiselled in quietly, "Ron, what about your dad? How's his campaigning going?"

"Dad says its going great, partly to the Dementor attack at Diagon Alley. Mate, -" Ron grinned madly "- Fred and George have been persuading him to put up Weasley Wizarding Wheezes as campaign sponsors. Dad agreed instantly, mum looked surprised but she didn't object". Hermione spoke up, "I really appreciate those two they really use their heads". Ron added in a satisfactory tone, "They've already started keeping busy. All thanks to you Harry".

Harry turned red and looked out of the window. The sun didn't seem to cast any shadow. He groaned. "I'll see you two later, need to talk to Snape for remedial Potions". "This year too?", quipped Ron.

Hermione silenced Ron with a look and spoke up seriously, "Harry please do it properly this time"

He nodded weakly, she had a good reason to tell him off which he had no desire to hear. He walked off to Snape's office, propelling his feet forward with increasing difficulty as his destination neared.

"We'll wait here, mate", Ron's voice resonated in the corridor behind him.

Harry knocked on the closed door of Snape's office.

"Come in Potter". Quite surprised he entered the room, and saw the pensieve kept in a corner, Snape sitting beside it.

A moment of silence passed. Snape walked towards him and smirked.

"Either speak up or leave, Potter. I have other pressing matters at hand, too", Snape's voice was cold.

Harry spoke up determinedly, "Will you teach me Occlumency?"

Snape sneered, "I would rather teach you manners, Potter".

Harry clenched his fists in his pockets and remained silent.

The potions master walked back to the cupboard where Harry knew various Potions were kept. 

"Last year, seven months of Occlumency failed to penetrate your dense head, Potter. An unparalleled abominable waste of time and efforts. Unless you are required to repeat it, I see no legitimate reason to teach you Occlumency" Snape's eyes glittered with wholesome contempt.

Harry clenched his fists tighter now more angry than ever, _"It was due to Snape that Sirius had died. Had Snape ta- "_. Just before he could answer back, he remembered the conversation with Lupin back in Grimmauld.

"State your reason quickly or leave, unlike you, Potter, I do not have leisure time". Stating thus the Potions Master walked over to one of the cupboards and pulled out a bag full of roots.

Fighting mentally to curb his anger, Harry spoke slowly, "I'll try my best, sir". Snape who was now pulling out some bottles from the cupboard stopped and hissed, "You have wasted the whole of last year _trying to learn _Occlumency Potter-". Harry cut in, "I'll do my best, sir".

Snape looked at him for an instant and returned to getting other slimy looking artifacts out of the adjacent cupboard taking no notice of him at all.

"At what time could I come … sir?"

The reply said, "4'o clock on weekends, in this room. Can you understand, Potter?"

Harry replied slowly, "Yes … sir" and turned to go out of the room.

He had barely touched the doorknob when Snape's voice reached his ears, "Leave the room of your own accord, rules and manners are not for famous Potter, are they?"

"Can I go now … sir?" Harry wished he could stuff one of the plants lying on the table into Snape's mouth.

"Get out", Snape's voice was cold as always.

Harry stormed out of the office and headed straight for the common room.

"What happened Harry?" asked Hermione looking more concerned than before.

"Snape's accepted to teach Occlumency", Ron replied wisely.

The three of them set out for Potions straight away, He told them what had happened.

Hermione spoke up disapprovingly, "You shouldn't have peeped into his Pensieve, Harry. Nobody would have liked it". Harry glared into nothingness but continued walking quietly.

"Late are we?" Snape wore a disconcerting smile. All three of them stopped in the doorway, as did their heartbeat.

The Potion Master's eyes glittered unpleasantly.

"Sir, we're on time" asserted Hermione. Harry didn't dare look at his watch.

"Potter's watch is just as reliable as himself. Don't just dawdle by the door, get in and close the door **properly**".

All the Slytherin's snickered loudly.

Without another word, the three entered the class and took seats at the last benches. Ron was busy focussing his thoughts on the table. He and Hermione exchanged puzzled glances. Knowing Snape, atleast ten points could have been lost. Now, the same professor hadn't taken a single goddamn point. Harry mentally cursed the professor and his own luck.

"Those **competent** enough will be making the Truth Potion Concoction today". He looked at Harry, his eyes flashing dangerously. "The potion will be tested on those who concoct it". Harry couldn't feel the bottom of his stomach_ he wouldn't touch his potion_. Ron paled considerably and murmured something. Hermione had already begun jotting down the instructions, her hands shaking slightly. She threw Harry a glance and continued with her writing.

Same was the condition for the other Gryffindors. The Slytherins however were hiding their glee with extreme difficulty.

"Only two people together, split up **now-**_"_. Snape added slowly, "-Potter".

The professor continued in a softer voice, "Pair up with Longbottom" Malfoy was laughing silently. Harry resolved to learn a spell which would cause a taste of fresh horseshit in a person's mouth.

As he made no attempt to move, Snape sneered at him and asked repugnantly, "Potter, are you deaf too?"

The whole Slytherin table erupted in laughter. All the Gryffindor's looked at the target of Snape's ridicule with immense pity. Harry's insides were beginning to burn with anger, now indisputably hating Snape more than ever.

Reluctantly, he put on his gloves moved over to Neville and cut the pieces clumsily. "Harry, careful with the Aconite, its poisonous. I b-bet S-Snape's looking at us". Harry stared at the roots worriedly. "C-Cut them along the stem, hold it like this and-". Harry thankful that Neville was excellent at Herbology, he did as told, besides following the instructions on the board.

"Longbottom, What is this plant called?" Snape seemed to lurk beside them.

Every member of the Slytherin table had stopped their activity. Neville was shaking in his seat, a root in his gloved hand.

"A-Aconite, sir".

"Potter, do you, by any chance know what property it possesses?" Snape's lips morphed into a evil smile.

Everybody had stopped their work and Harry could feel many eyes fixed on him.

Not meeting Snape's eyes he replied, "It is poisonous" and mentally thanked Neville. Snape's smile didn't even flicker. All the Gryffindor's were staring at their roots.

"Yet to learn politeness have you Potter? Two points from Gryffindor", hissed the Potion Master and looked at the roots lovingly.

"If added as _specified_, these roots combined with pheasant's eye and birchwood would help you in creating the Truth Potion Concoction", Snape paused. "If added excessively or by a stroke of luck the contents of its roots spills onto you …" a horrible sneer followed, "… end of all bother".

A deathly silence ensued. Parvati and Seamus refused to touch the roots any further.

"Five inches on composition and uses of Aconite, Pheasant's Eye, Birchwood and the procedure to create a Truth Potion Concoction to be handed over in two days, alongwith a half inch on Veritaserum. An extra five inches for those too dull to make the Potion by the end of class". Ron muttered something but unfortunately not soft enough.

"Ms Granger's company seems to have made you more studious Mr. Weasley". Hermione blushed scarlet.

"Well Five inches **each** for you then". Malfoy was laughing so hard that his eyes were streaming. Ron was now trembling with fury. Hermione had to catch Ron to rivet him to the seat. The whole Slytherin lot were delirious with laughter.

Harry's hands trembled with indignation. Somehow he and Neville managed to get the potion done. With a sick feeling both found out Snape advancing gleefully.

"Mr. Longbottom, what is this supposed to be?" A loud laughter erupted from the Slytherin table.

"T-Truth Potion Conc-c-ccoction, sssir", Neville's body was more vibrant than his voice.

Harry could see a sparkle in Snape's eyes. He knew what it meant, potion poisoning. _Bloody Snape. _

"Let's see, Potter drink it".

Each and every student was now balancing on the edge of their seats precariously, all rules restrictions forgotten. Ron eyes were focussed on Snape a mad glint in them.

"No", Harry hissed venomously.

"You can't use that sir, its illegal", Hermione burst out angrily. Harry's hopes drifted further downwards. Snape would have her for lunch. 

Instead, the Potion Master looked at her and smirked.

"Only if not specified in the syllabus, a point from Gryffindor for your outburst, Ms. Granger". Harry forced himself to looked at Neville who was shivering uncontrollably. Above Neville's shoulder, he could see Ron's fists white in colour.

Snape looked at him and said slowly, "Don't trust your own potion, Potter?" Harry remained still, not trusting his mouth to speak.

"Unexpected show of honesty. Ten marks to you, Zero to Longbottom", Snape declared lethally.

Seamus's jaw dropped open.

Harry had drunk the Potion in one go.

Everybody in the room had stopped in their work. Even Ron's anger had turned into shock. Hermione was struck speechless. Malfoy was looking at his professor as if the holidays had started early. Dean had dropped some water onto Ron's pants but the latter hadn't noticed. Seamus's hands were touching Lavender's waist and both were fully incognizant of it.

The Potions Professor spoke calmly no trace of the eagerness within him visible, "What is your name?"

"Harry Potter".

"Mother's maiden name"

"Lily Evans".

"Father's name".

"James Potter".

Everybody watched in pure fascination and fear as Snape conducted the interrogation.

Sitting right in front of Harry, Neville looked into Harry's eyes he could see momentary instances of emotion present when Harry answered. All other times those green eyes were voids, no emotion within.

"Where are your parents?"

"Dead", The Slytherin's laughed. Most of the Gryffindor's were standing looking visibly disgusted.

"Have you seen them?"

"Yes".

"Where did you first see them?" A short pause occurred.

"In a photograph", The Slytherins collectively roared with laughter. Ron's anger was beginning to resurface, slowly and steadily. His temper wasn't the only one which was increasing.

"Any brothers?"

"Don't know".

"Any sisters?"

"Don't know". Malfoy snickered loudly. His voice was audible over the Slytherin laughter.

"Any living relatives?"

"Yes".

"How many?"

"Three". Only a handful laughed.

"What incident happened at the end of last year?"

A pause occurred again. Hermione glared at the Professor who didn't seem to notice. "Stop it", murmured Neville but nobody seemed to listen to him. "The Minster of Magic believed the fact that Voldemort has returned". Snape shuddered violently. All students (except Hermione and Ron) took in deeps breath, some scared out of their wits.

"What is your deepest fear?" asked Snape his eyes glittering.

_In a Gryffindor vs Slytherin match one could expect a huge assembly. Students yelling, cheering, cursing, emotions reflecting the mood of the game. The absolute enemity coupled with the vigour of playing would spur the players and the crowd to a greater degree of ecstasy. Seeing the tense mood in the room, students hanging over each other oblivious to where they were standing or sitting, any one could tell that this time they were amazed and curious, Slytherin and Gryffindor alike. No enemity visible._

"A Dementor".

Every student in the room gawked at him, Harry of course didn't know. Snape's eyes lost their glitter.

"You aren't afraid of the Dark Lord?" someone yelled out, obviously a Slytherin seeing that Snape didn't object.

"No".

All the students looked on in awe, some not convinced. Again, Harry didn't see or feel them either.

"Who are your relatives?"

He replied, "Aunt Petunia, Dudley, Uncle Vernon". There was complete silence in the room.

As Snape walked towards him, Parvati piped up suddenly, "You have a girlfriend Harry?"

Ron stared at Parvati in disbelief.

"No".

"Who do you fancy, Potter?" Malfoy's voice rang out. Snape's features had become rather fixed.

"Don't tell anyone, Harry", shouted Neville even though he was less than three feet away from Harry.

"For your efforts Longbottom, five points from Gryffindor. Mr. Finnigan, Ms. Brown you are in a Potions class not in a ballroom, ten points from Gryffindor". Seamus and Lavender blushed deep red and returned to their seats.

_Snape had spent his schooling at Hogwarts. It was Potions that had captured his interest. Brewing complicated simmering potions that could carry out your orders … any order once down the throat of your victim … had fascinated him to such an extent that he had higher schooling in Advanced Potions. Over the years Severus Snape could be counted as the best of the best in Potion brewing. _

_Unlike VeritaSerum which required skill and concentration much beyond the realm of puny students, he knew that the best faultless scaled down version of the Truth Serum could be made with simple techniques. The same which the two biggest bunglers of the class had prepared correctly but not unexpectedly. Snape knew that the Potion was strong enough but not comparable to the VeritaSerum which assumed total control of a person. However, he certainly hadn't expected Potter to be able to fight it. Undoubtedly Snape was flummoxed beyond belief, though he never showed it._

Malfoy drawled again, "Who do you fancy, Potter?"

Harry's face was crinkled up with intense concentration. His eyes swam around in his sockets. Everybody stood in shocked silence as his trembling hands moved to his face and waved through the air helplessly.

_Harry could see the whole scene in front begin to flutter which eventually turned misty finally leading to full blackness. A feeling of nausea overcame him temporarily and his muscles relaxed. All thoughts cleared and gradually emptiness remained._

_A bodiless voice said, "What is your name?"_

_Immediately the words Harry Potter flashed in the darkness. He complied obediently, "Harry Potter"._

_"Mother's maiden name?"_

_The words Lily Evans flashed in front again. "Lily Evans"._

_"Father's name?"_

_He replied, "James Potter"._

_Similarly, more questions were being asked, some very difficult to think of. However, he couldn't stop, he would remember bad feelings which would turn worse and remain so till he spoke out the truth. One of them being, "Where did you see them first?"_

_A photograph of his parents' wedding flashed. When he stopped, the contents of the Pensieve played forth. When he made no attempt to speak, the image burned brightly irritating him thoroughly. Unable to shut out the irritation he complied, "In a photograph"._

_After some more questions someone asked, "What incident happened at the end of last year?"_

_A series of images appeared in the darkness, he could see Sirius Black and for some reason he felt immense pain and sorrow. The next showed an aged old man and another wizard wearing a set of slippers conversing in moderate voices. He couldn't tell the first one, it was too painful. So he said, "The Minister of Magic believed the fact that Voldemort has returned". The words below the image melted away and the scene dissolved into darkness._

_Later on the same voice said, "Who do you fancy, Potter?"_

_Immediately a girl's image flashed across the darkness and he felt nice more than ever he had felt before. In truth he couldn't describe what he felt. Even as the name of the girl flashed across the same voice said. "Don't tell anyone, Harry"._

_He decided to keep silent but the words in the darkness began glowing brighter so he tried to answer it. The words, "DON'T TELL ANYONE", resounded more forcefully. He decided to remain silent the image of the girl and her name burned more brightly. He remained silent. It burned more irritably and he felt a spasm of pain. Undaunted, he remained silent, the name burned so brightly that he hoped it would go away instead it burned more brightly. He could feel his body now. Harry tried moving his hand against the bright words they burned still brighter. More feelings came back to him. He decided that he would never tell her name. The pain in his body increased to such an extent that he yelled out._

"I WONT TELL ANYONE". The roar took everyone by surprise sending them reeling backwards. If Malfoy's face could be described by an odour, it would have been worse than a pair of unwashed socks. Harry slipped from his chair to the ground.

Snape walked forward and Neville yelled, "ENOUGH, STOP IT, THAT'S **ENOUGH**". He ran out of the room, trembling badly.

There was pindrop silence, Snape took out a bottle from one of his pockets. "Potter. Drink this potion".

"STOP IT", Hermione was literally quaking with anger all politeness forgotten. Ron was transfixed to his spot.

_In the midst of the blinding light and pain. A voice commanded him to drink from a bottle, he clasped the bottle and drank its contents. The darkness began to morph into a mist and slowly the scene changed to include some people, the scene still fluttered in front of him. After a while, as the effect wore off Harry saw Snape's expressionless face right in front of him. All his once lost thoughts inundated his head giving him a slight headache._

Harry got up and seated himself on the chair to find Neville missing.

"You weren't sure about the Potion. You had to take help from **Longbottom**. Unexpectedly, the Concoction seems to be proper, the problem undoubtedly lies in its drinker because you didn't manage to answer all questions, Potter. Zero to you, Five to Longbottom, class dismissed".

He quietly picked up his bag walked out of the room. Hermione and Ron followed close behind. Walking in complete silence, he entered his dorm and closed the door with such force that it rattled on its hinges.

_In the boys' dormitory Neville sat on his bed, staring at the evening sun smiling at him through the window. The experience with the Truth Potion had turned out to be bad enough. Neville almost didn't believe it. He tried to remember someone who had stood for him. His parents, yes but years back. His grandmother loved him the most, she would do anything for him. Just three people in the world. Hermione was nice, intelligent smart much more than him in many respects but she wouldn't have drunk it. His relatives …_

_Neville managed to single out only his parents and grandmother. Here, Harry had drunk it without a second thought and answered all those horrible questions, Neville shuddered to think about it, having one think about the bad side of their past. Harry didn't mind saying telling all his secrets because **Snape** had been injust to a **somebody** called Neville? He had an idea how Harry could have felt and to think there could be people like Bellatrix … Neville absently took a book from his bag._

_Exactly at that moment, the door opened and with a deafening boom rattled shut._

_Neville jumped up two feet in the air. The book in his hands fell onto the bed with a 'flump'. He turned around and found a very angry Harry throwing his own bag onto his own bed._

Harry turned over in his bed angrily, he had a zero for Potions again._ "An excellent start to the term", he thought sarcastically._

The thought that Longbottom had got five seemed to anger him further. _"Neville gets five marks and I get a bloody zero for a perfect Potion"._

_"Neville never asked you to drink that Truth Potion", his conscience chided him again._

Harry forced himself to think of something else but he couldn't calm himself. He couldn't have not drunk the Potion, Neville and himself had prepared it together. Neville had even helped him answer a question. Neville had known everything about the plant. Harry had followed the instructions properly, both had worked in tandem neither deserved zero. Snape had nicked his marks for no reason at all.

He paused for a moment, expecting Snape to be nice was equal to expecting a hungry lion to spit out the fresh meat in its mouth.

_"You shouldn't have peeped into his Pensieve. Nobody would have liked it", the same voice in his head told him._

Harry turned uncomfortably in his bed again, it was unfortunately true.

"You needn't have drunk the Potion, Harry. I always get a zero in Potions", Harry tried to ignore Neville's remorseful voice but he couldn't. Instead angry with Neville's attitude he replied, some sarcasm still lingering in his words, "Sorry to offend you, but this time you got a five".

"B-But S-Snape gave me a zero", Neville was totally confused.

"He decided to change his mind".

Neville stared at him for a while, thanked him and walked out of the dorm still a bit confused.

Ron entered the dorm exactly after Neville opened the door.

"**Bloody Snape**, gave you a zero for a perfect Potion", Ron added hopefully, "Maybe this time Dumbledore will **_kick_** him out if we complain" .

"Ron, Snape **always** gives me a zero, Dumbledore hasn't fired him yet".

Ron still angry looked at him, "All those dumb questions he asked, after the last question you twitched and fell to the floor- Don't you remember them?"

Seeing his blank face, his friend's eyes nearly popped out, "He asked you so many goddamn questions and the bloody git got to ask one too. The next time I see Malfoy, the git's going to lose his -" .

"Ron, did I answer Malfoy?" Harry hoped he hadn't.

His friend stared at him, "Don't you remember **anything**?"

"No", he lied even as his heart beat faster. "Did I?"

Harry remembered only one question, the one which he had refused to answer, the voice had been monotonous to hear, like Binns. Neither was he interested in discussing the question with anybody.

His friend laughed satanically, "No, you didn't. Mate, you should have seen the git's face, looked like he'd eaten a load of dragon dung". Harry's sigh of relief went unnoticed.

"Where's Hermione?" He asked.

Ron stopped laughing and said, "She wanted to start on her homework sooner and-" Harry saw his friend's happy expression change to one of horror, "BLOODY SNAPE, I'VE TO WRITE 20 INCHES ON THOSE IDIOTIC PLANTS".

Ron turned to him and said sorrowfully, "I could've squirted some poison on Snape. Nobody would miss him".

Remembering Hermione, Harry asked Ron, "How did Ginny get her OWLs? I don't remember Fred and George playing pranks on Hermione". Ron blanked out for a while. Harry noticed his friend beginning to blush slightly and grin at the same time.

"After Professor Moody told us that you had begun to recover in Mungos, Hermione for once set aside 'Ancient Runes', searched him out and asked him a load of questions. It took Professor Moody a good half hour to convince her". Ron's body shook with silent laughter, "Mate, he avoided her completely for two whole days thereafter".

His friend continued after a short pause, "The twins thought she was getting a bit obsessed with her books so they decided to give her a break". Harry narrowed his eyes, he knew the twins wouldn't fool around with her, she would report them to Mrs Weasley.

"They tried a prank and it worked after all", said Ron and continued reminscently, "You know what, I seriously thought Fred was kidding. By the way Ginny never got OWLs, Hermione maybe forgot that Ginny is in fourth year" Ron looked at him intently.

_"Hermione could have known the syllabus even by reading the letter. He remembered Hermione had forgotten once during their third year, thanks to the too many subjects she had taken but then she had been really stressed up"_. He couldn't see a reason why she could have been so worried now.

He decided to ask the question which seemed to eat his head.

Ron asked him concernedly, "Mate, what are you thinking?"

He asked instead, "Are you finally going out with Hermione?"

The change in his friend's demeanor was remarkable. Ron blushed deep red and looked away shyly and stuttered, "er- I'… maybe yes. "Its … fine with you isn't it? Mate?"

Harry replied, "Yeah, congrats Ron".

Ron visibly relaxed. "Thanks mate".

He asked further, "When did you propose?"

Ron turned redder at the wicked look Harry was wearing, "At Grimmauld's after you got into St Mungos" and added quickly, "well, she agreed too".

"Great … any plans in store for her?". His friend looked at him for a while and sighed, "Not yet, maybe … BLOODY SNAPE" Harry shrugged. He still remembered his disaster with Cho vividly.

Ron flopped onto Harry's bed, "I simply can't get a date with this homework pending". Harry nodded in affirmation, atleast for Ron 20 inches were _too much._

"Try asking Hermione, she probably will help you", he suggested.

"Maybe she will but I'd rather do it later. Let's go to the common room, shall we?"

"er- You go on Ron. I'll complete this homework today". Seeing Ron in a state of mock horror he added, "At least, DADA needn't be pending".

Ron grinned back, "Mate, its too early. School's just started today. Ginny and the others, including Hermione are waiting outside".

Harry took out his books and began to write, "I'll come later Ron, I don't want DADA pending".

After Ron had gone out, Harry lay down on his bed feeling frustrated. He had always known Ron had liked Hermione for a long time.

Now, Ron had told him the same thing, then why was he feeling angry? Harry tried gauging his feelings for his friends. He definitely liked Ron and Hermione more than anything. Why did he want that his two friends wouldn't be together?

_"Your feelings run deeper for her", his mind told him._

Harry shook his head absently, he wasn't at all attracted to Hermione, he just liked her similar to Ron. His hand chanced to scrape the cover of _A Perfect Guide against the Dark Arts_

Harry resolutely fished out his books, McGonagall's words rang in his ears _I will assist you to become an Auror if it is the last thing I do! If I have to coach you nightly, I will make sure you achieve the required results!_ Deep in his writing, he didn't notice Dean slip a marksheet beside him.

Just before dinner Harry managed to complete his DADA homework and a part of Potions. He decided that he would do it on his own. It was then that he noticed the marksheet lying calmly beside him. It wasn't very impressive but Harry was glad he had made it through.

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Fifth Year OWL Results for Harry Potter, student of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Outstanding performance in Transfiguration

Scored 2 OWLs combined

1 out of 1 in theory

1 out of 1 in practicals

Exceeds Expectations performance in Charms

Scored 1 OWL combined

0 out of 1 in theory

1 out of 1 in practicals

Exceeds Expectations performance in Herbology

Scored 1 OWLs

0 out of 1 in theory

1 out of 1 in practicals

Outstanding performance in Defense against the Dark Arts

Scored 3 OWLs (+1 bonus)

1 out of 1 in theory

1 out of 1 in practicals (+1 bonus having cast the Patronus charm successfully)

Outstanding performance in Care of Magical Creatures

Scored 2 OWLs

1 out of 1 in theory

1 out of 1 in practicals

Acceptable performance in History Of Magic

Scored 0 OWLs

0 out of 1 in theory

Acceptable performance in Astronomy

Scored 0 OWLs

0 out of 1 in theory

0 out of 1 in practicals

Poor performance in Divination (_He grinned all-knowingly_)

Scored 0 OWLs

0 out of 1 in theory

0 out of 1 in practicals

Outstanding performance in Potions

Scored 2 OWLs

1 out of 1 in theory

1 out of 1 in practicals

Total - 10 O.W.L.s (+1 bonus)

Mr. Potter, your strengths being Transfiguration, Potions, Defense against the Dark Arts and Care of Magical Creatures and more practical oriented, Aurorship and Potion Brewing are recommended.

You will of course have to keep up your performance now onwards in the subjects Charms, Transfiguration, Potions and Defense against the Dark Arts to qualify for Aurorship. The latter requires extensive knowledge of Potions, Care of Magical Creatures and Charms.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 The bonus marks are to be specified separately

Dear Pupil,

Congratulations on getting 10 OWLs. Having received your OWL marksheet, you are to inform the headmaster/headmistress of your school in case any anomalies are evident. Also, you are advised to keep this marksheet safe, they ascertain your suitability when you apply for a job. 

Yours sincerely,

Billy Windsor.

Regulation and Control of Underage Wizardry (RCUW)

Ministry of magic.

London.

Harry nodded at his marksheet and tucked it safely into his trunk. His mind now buzzing with the Truth Potion ingredients, he wrote them down. This time he was more than pleased with himself. 8 inches for DADA and currently 5 inches to Potions. He set it in his trunk resolving to finish it after dinner. Even dinner was a quiet affair, every Slytherin and Gryffindor gazed at him as if he were some alien. Feeling uncomfortable, Harry quickly finished his food and returned to completing Potions. He had heard Hermione, Ginny and Ron talking about himself and something prompted him to attend to his unfinished Potions homework.

Completing Potions late into the night, Harry finally slept off satisfied that he had done his homework, completely on his own.

* * *

_Ginny, Ron, Neville and Hermione sat at the dinner table alongwith Harry talking about the food and classes. Ginny noticed that Harry seemed to be severely irked by the unnaturally large number of people looking at him. She was even surprised to see him finish the food at record speed and excuse himself._

"What's going on Ron? Why're your classmates and those Slytherins looking at Harry?" she asked her brother unable to make head or tail of the situation. Ron who had been looking at Harry too replied after a while, "In Potions, we were told to make the Truth Potion. _Snape_ told him to drink it".

"WHAT?" gasped Ginny.

Neville motioned out to someone with his hand. Ron on finding it was Luna, winced.

"You needn't talk to her", Hermione remarked irritably.

"Hello Ronald, Hello Ginny" Ignoring Ginny's stifled laughs, Ron put up a brave front and smiled in return. To his despair, she settled on a chair directly in front of him.

Neville said in an awed tone, "I never knew Harry was not afraid of You-Know-Who". Everybody sat in silence till Luna spoke up, "Are you talking about Harry's Potion class?"

Hermione said jerkily, "How do you know?" Luna merely ate some pudding and replied, "Parvati and Lavender told us. Everybody knows about it. Cho was discussing about it too".

Ginny piped up, "But Harry isn't after Cho anymore, is he?" Hermione spoke up thoughtfully, "I think so, Harry has changed, he hasn't even talked much with us. I doubt he knows who our new Head Girl is". Ginny chiseled in, very slightly eager "What did Snape ask?"

After hearing Ron out, she turned to look at the Slytherin's wrathfully, "Malfoy asked him that?"

He replied disbelievingly, "It was Parvati who gave Malfoy the idea".

Hermione hissed angrily, "Snape didn't even bother telling Malfoy to shut up". Ginny spoke dreamily, "Wonder who Harry fancies?"

To everybody's surprise Neville replied sharply, "That's none of our business".

Luna who had finished her pudding decided to speak, "Did Harry finish his dinner?"

Hermione replied, "Yes he did-". Ron spoke up thoughtfully, "-with those filthy Slytherins trying to stare him down". Ginny cut in, "No wonder he was feeling queasy, remembering all th-". Ron replied, "Ginny, he doesn't remember anything".

"Harry wouldn't remember them, the Truth Potion takes full control of a person. The person remains in an unconscious state till the Potion is in effect. Only after the Potion wears off, does the person regains consciousness", replied Hermione knowingly.

They discussed about their OWLs, (Ginny grinned as Ron exclaimed, "Hermione, didn't you say twenty two!") Dinner went by quickly.

Ron and Hermione trudged back to their respective dormitories. Ron smiled and said, "Goodnight Hermione".

"Goodnight Ron", Hermione smiled and walked away to her room leaving a slightly disappointed Ron behind.

==========================================================================

What is Voldemort upto? Any ideas, guesses, brainwaves !! Go on put it in a review and I'll surely take a look at it.

Two days for Quidditch captainship.


	10. The Second War Begins

**Disclaimer**: I hereby declare that excepting the plot, the rest had been very neatly taken from J K Rowling's Harry Potter series. Well, if I owned Harry Potter … sounds nice doesn't it?  
  
I have changed the writing a lot and this chapter is complete.  
This chappie will be a bit long, needed to sort out the pairing stuff initially. You see even Voldemort's sorting out his own priorities now.

10. The Second War Begins  
_The previous day Lupin's expression had been one of pleasant surprise when Harry submitted the DADA homework.  
Snape had managed to skip his assignment on the pretext of insufficent content.  
_  
Harry sat in his bed thinking deeply. Friday had been good, transfiguration, DADA, Herbology, Care of Magical Creatures and Charms. He had completed most of his homework.  
  
However, today Saturday held more important events, for example the selection for Quidditch captainship and consequtively, formation of the team. He avidly looked forward to it, especially after the disturbing vision he had encountered this mornin.  
  
Harry had as usual been dreaming about Cedric Diggory dying helplessly, Sirius Black falling through the veil. Adding to his guilt this time, Mrs. Black's shrieks resounded in the background. He even got to dream a confrontation with Lockhart at Mungos with the Healer asking her(Harry) to sit down for a while. Lockhart had followed by giving away photographs. Finally, the Healer had yanked Lockhart back and ordered her(Harry) to go back to her work. -Ron's voice had woken him up and his scar had been burning badly.  
  
Burning with shame, Harry wondered whether he should really tell Dumbledore about it. "I dreamt about Lockhart and his Healer asking me to … chat for a while", how stupid! The dreams … he knew too nicely what they meant, Dumbledore knew too. He hated the Maria episode from the depths of his heart.  
  
His timetable read Healing, Potions, Charms and Transfiguration, an hour each. The dueling classes were to be started a week from now, next Saturday.  
Madam Pomfrey was supposed to take Healing but she had rejected the offer outright ("who'll take care of the patients then") and a new one was supposed to replace her.  
  
His train of thought was halted by Ron's voice. "It isn't aching is it?" Harry shook his head.  
Ron looked at him expectantly, "What happened this time, mate?" Misinterpreting the uneasy look on Harry's face, he added, "You better tell Dumbledore".  
  
Harry nodded animatedly. Dumbledore, like himself would know what the dreams could mean.  
Ron's eyes traversed the room and eventually rested on Harry's Potions homework left on the bed and never left them.  
  
Harry sent Ron a big grin, "Yeah, complete". The redhead grinned back, "Man, Hermione is starting to rub off you, better be careful mate".  
  
Intentionally wanting to send off Ron he replied, "Maybe for the best, Ron. I have this doubt that her homework will be booked prematurely now onwards by a certain redhead …"  
Ron blushed crimson. "er-I'll wait for you in the Hall … Harry" so saying, Ron turned and walked out quickly.  
  
Harry let his friend go away and after some time, instead of going to Dumbledore's office, took the path to the Great Hall for breakfast.

* * *

_The Great Hall was packed with a whole lot of students, evidently making their way for breakfast. The pushing of chairs, scurrying of students and constant murmuring was unheared by Hermione as she sat with Neville and Ron in a corner of the Hall reading the Daily Prophet with a lot of interest._  
  
"Hello Harry", said Neville. Seeing Harry, she set the paper onto the table. _ There was news about Mungos_

"Hi Neville, Hermione".  
"Harry, Fudge has transferred eighty Aurors to Mungos for guarding purposes", she said. Harry's interests were aroused.  
"Hermione, Voldemort called back Rookwood. He could have been expecting this", he replied.  
She nodded, "Further, there has been a thorough search of St Mungos …" Her face fell slightly, "… to no avail".  
  
Harry had an odd expression on his face. It then changed into one of realization.  
  
"What is it mate?"  
He turned towards Ron, "Ron, Voldemort has possessed somebody and that person is still in Mungos". Neville choked on his sausage.  
  
Hermione replied, "Harry, the Aurors have already run four checks in Mungos, the paper says so. They found nothing".  
He looked at the paper for a while, "Hermione, this paper was printed yesterday. Today morning, I had a vision at Mungos".  
  
Neville asked, "So is that why you were twisting in your bed?" and continued, "Ron happened to enter at that time and woke you up".  
  
She wondered whether Harry had told Dumbledore, just then her's and Harry's eyes met. He promptly got up, excused himself and went out of the hall.  


* * *

_Seeing Hermione throw him a searching look, Harry excused himself and walked out straight to Dumbledore's office, berating himself for having overseen the vision. Halfway to the office the first thought was How hadn't he realized it? He had **felt** like a lady in the vision … just like last year when he had **felt** like a snake during the attack on Mr. Weasley too. He told the headmaster so, who acknowledged it gratefully. While returning he happened to bump into Professor Lupin … Remus._  


"Sorry Remus er- Professor Lupin?" Harry bumbled on his words.  
Lupin smiled. "When not in school, Remus will do". Harry looked at the Professor but couldn't help noticing that he looked slightly off-colour. _"The full moon was hardly a week away"_.

"Well, for you, it will do even in my office, shall we go in?" Harry grinned.  
  
Lupin's office was similar to how Harry had seen it in his third year. The Professor's desk was strikingly neat compared to his demeanour. Harry thought of gifting some really good clothes to Lupin, that was something he badly needed. Lupin who was looking at him replied, "Now that you say, I'll see ..."

Harry flushed. He turned around and his sight rested on a small parchment and quill on Lupin's desk, to which the Professor was reaching out.  


"How was your journey?"  
Harry reddened considerably, "er-Quick", he muttered. He had just remembered the fireplace incident too.  


"Did you bump into Ron?" Lupin looked down into the parchment where some writing was beginning to form.  
Harry suspected the Professor was trying to hide a smile.

"Remus, what is Voldemort doing at Mungos?"  
Lupin sat down on a chair contemplatively, "There is little I can talk about it, Harry. I can surely tell you that the Order isn't sitting quietly either, we are carrying out tasks to monitor Mungos and set up a good network of communication. Dumbledore has a sly idea, one that says Voldemort would prefer capturing Azkaban first".  
  
Harry paused, so this meant that the Order was expecting Voldemort to do something on a grandiose scale - to capture Azkaban. He knew that Lupin wouldn't say anything more.  
  
"Thanks Remus, who's for Healing?"  
Lupin replied quietly, "Sylvia Crawford".  


* * *

_Healing class went quickly. Possibly, because it was a Ravenclaw - Gryffindor class. Sylvia Crawford was a really good teacher like Lupin. For one she even demonstrated by imprinting a cut onto a table and joining it later. As for Harry, she remembered him very nicely. "The third time, we meet in Hogwarts finally, Potter". Harry also got to know that Neville and Ms. Crawford were very good friends … seeing that the Longbottoms were in Mungos … for quite some time. Harry managed to shake off Neville off the 'Maria' trail by stressing that he had met her only once in London, ages ago._  
  
Walking towards the common room, Harry, Ron, Neville and Hermione were discussing Healing. Hermione was a bit irritated, perhaps since even Ron had for once given his complete attention to the teacher.  
  
"Ms. Crawford knows her stuff, mate. I guess the practicals will be great", asserted Ron. Dean nodded, not noticing that Parvati was throwing him looks full of loathing.  
"She didn't tell me that she got a job here", muttered Neville ruefully.  
  
Just then, Snape passed by, stone faced as ever. Harry could feel Neville shudder beside him.  


Ron gritted his teeth. Before he could comment, Hermione motioned them to move quickly, "Ron, save it for later. We better hurry to Potions".  


Though Snape had set up a really tedious looking, back breaking Strength Infusing Potion (Harry cursed, on realizing that Snape could have prepared and given it to Madam Pomfrey) to make, it was a quiet affair since the Potions master wasn't in the room. As usual Neville had messed up, Ron was peeking over at Hermione's Potion which was a translucent blue.

To Harry's satisfaction he had managed to follow all the instructions properly. _... Add the water, stir it with goat's blood (Ack!!), Add the grated coconut ..._

Finally, Translucent blue vapours hung over his cauldron, _it could have got heated a bit more ..._

Ron spat fire as he came out. Snape had not checked Ron's _20 inches homework_ because of his incorrect potion.

Harry came out gritting his teeth, hating Snape and Potions more than ever. The Potions master had deliberately asked the class to _ 'collect whatever they had created' _in a bottle and submit the homework together.

The trio made to go on for break, with Ron calling Snape such names that Hermione finally intervened, 'RON!'. Ron turned away from her to see a quivering Neville making way towards them.

"H-Harry, I-I c-cant come, S-Snape-" Ron opened his mouth and closed it as Hermione sent him one of her looks "-told me to f-finish the -P-Potion. Else f-four w-weeks of detention for m-me".

Ron declared, "See Hermione, Snape's mental". Harry agreed whole heartedly. 

Hermione tutted, "Ron, only if you had added two teaspoons of the goat's blood instead of the whole vial, you would ... well ... could have somehow had your homework and Potion checked today". Ron bellowed, "Why the hell do we need Potions? For_ Aurorship_? - and I dont want to hear **anything** from you Hermione". She shook her head disapprovingly.

Harry however began to feel a little uneasy. He had yet not forgotten McGonagall's adjudication, that she would assist him in any way possible to become an Auror._ After a bit of arguing with himself he decided to redo the damned Potion properly. The only question that irked him was HOW. Snape allowing him to repeat the Potion was a chance in a billion._

Harry gulped. He would have to ask Snape, now that there was a solid reason. He told Hermione and Ron. Neville stared at him.

Ron threw a punch in mid air. "EXCELLENT idea mate, Snape's sure to end up in Mungos soon-", and added, "Are you serious?"

Hermione looked at him apprehensively for an instant but she then smiled. "Very good Harry. Ron you-"

"See you in the Common Room mate". Feigning deafness, Ron walked away before she could retort. She whispered, "Do it correctly this time Harry".

Neville butted in, "Harry ... Hermione can I have your instruction sheet, mine are ... wrong". Later, Harry and Neville made off to their destination very much apprehensive.

* * *

_Harry and Neville stood by the door. Snape was sitting on his chair behind the desk right in front, writing something. There was nobody else in the class, all the benches were empty. Neville called out, "May ... we come in sir"._

Snape's head jerked towards the door and Harry saw a look of surprise cross the Potions Master's face for an instant.

"Longbottom, does your commonsense even fail to suggest bringing some one more **reliable** along ... say Ms. Granger". Harry fought valiantly against his impulse to spit an insult even as Snape smirked. Neville blushed deep red.

Grinding the ground with his feet, Harry spoke quickly, "I wanted to perform the experiment this time properly ... sir".

"You **do not **orderin **my** office, Potter. You have shown a remarkable inaptitude for Potions that leaves no scope for expecting anything _worthwhile_. You may go. Longbottom, unless you wish to grace the Potions class by your presence for four weeks continuously starting tomorrow, you may keep staring at Potter". Neville shuddered and set to work.

Harry repeated mechanically, "I will do it properly this time, sir". Snape sneered, "I have little resources to waste, Potter, now that the entire cupboard is reserved for Longbottom". Neville in the process of breaking the coconuts blushed furiously.

With great difficulty, Harry managed to gain Snape's assent. He got the ingredients from the cupboard and set to work, and glanced Neville looking at him.

Snape smirked, "Longbottom, unless you desire to spend the whole day trying to concoct the _simple_ Strength Infusing Potion, you may freely imitate Potter".

Harry picked up a coconut by its fibrous husk and made to ram it hard on the table edge, hoping to hear it _crack_ open.

"Potter, you are not supposed to use your _wild imagination_". Harry decided to look at Snape in the eyes, the bounteous insults running in his head would keep Snape occupied for quite some time.

After a nerve wracking half hour, he completed his Potion and to Snape's surprise, Neville's was ready as Harry handed over his own creation.

Some one knocked on the door, Malfoy stepped in. He looked at Neville and Harry alternately and sniggered silently, "Professor, the headmaster has called for you again".

The corners of Snape's mouth twitched momentarily.

Malfoy mouthed 'birds-of-a-feather-flock-together'. Harry decided to keep silent, with Snape and Malfoy in the same room as he, he didn't trust himself to speak. The Slytherin went away looking very smug.

Harry noted Snape's look as the professor glanced through his homework. His heart leaped with joy _Snape couldn't find anything to mark wrongly_.

"Potter, it seems that you are desirous of attaining perfection in all subjects-" Harry's heart stopped in mid-leap "-to ensure that you do, in Potions-" Snape's eyes glittered unpleasantly, "-you will resubmit the entire homework with corrections, if any".

* * *

_Hermione was sitting with Ron in the Common Room after checking up with Professor McGonagall related to their prefect postings._

_She had managed to hear quite a lot related to Mungos as the staff talked, before she and Ron exited the staff room._

"Harry? Neville? Hey mate!"

She looked up and was pleasantly surprised to see Harry and Neville. Seconds later, the two were seated with herself and Ron in a corner of the Common Room.

Neville beamed widely, "I never got a six, Harry". Ron stifled a cough and asked, "What did you get in Potions, Neville?"

"Exceeds Expectations". Hermione taken aback replied, "Yes, that's ... nice. really good Neville".

Harry cut in irritably, "I get to write my entire homework if _Snape_ manages to _find any mistake_ in it".

Ron sighed with relief, "And Hermione was telling me-". Harry sniggered, knowing Ron writing 20 inches again would _kill _him_._

Hermione broke in quickly, "Neville, did you bring my instruction sheet?" Neville's eyes widened, "Sorry, Hermione. I left it in P-Potions class, I'll g-get it".

Once Neville was gone, ignoring Harry's raised eyebrow she said, "Harry, while coming back from McGonagall's office, I and Ron overheard her talking about someone in the Order leaking information".

Harry's eyes lit up, "I bet everybody suspects Snape". She continued, "That is why he was so angry in Potions".

Hermione shushed Ron and Harry continued, "Hermione, Dumbledore called Snape more than once today in a meeting, Malfoy delivered this message, Snape didn't look so pleased".

She said, "Harry, I heard Professor McGonagall saying that Kingsley, Tonks and Moody have found nothing at Mungos. Besides, the Daily Prophet states that all the Aurors have run a surprise check day before yesterday". _This was very puzzling, they needed more clues._

Harry told her about all that he had known from Lupin.

Ron exclaimed, "Hermione! we have prefect duties now". She nodded distractedly as Harry raised an eyebrow and Neville came into the room, bringing her instruction sheet.

"uh - oh Yes, Ron. We'll go ... I'll see you in Transfiguration class next". Hermione and Ron set out, not noticing Neville whispering in Harry's ear and the corresponding smirk on Harry's face.

* * *

_After Charms, Ron set out with a thoughtful Harry for the notice board, which was almost fully shrouded behind the large number of eager students hoping to get a look at it. He thought, "I must get to be captain, no one else is good enough and Harry ... he can't". __ Harry never noticed the glance, Ron had given. On nearing the notice, Ron recognized Dean, Ginny, Seamus and a raw member of their Quidditch team - Jack Sloper._

Dean stared at the board for a while and turned around ... to meet Ron's eyes. "Congratulations Ron, you're captain". Ron was however looking at Ginny who was still staring at the board, so he missed Dean and Seamus staring open-mouthed at Harry. "Congrats Ron, you've to report to McGonagall now", said Ginny. "Yeah, Ron I come too, everyone needs to know that the Seeker's position is occupied", said Harry.

By now all the people were coming over to win the favour of the new captain, seeing this Ginny motioned Ron to go quickly. He replied, "Mate, I'll come back quickly " and walked off. As Ginny turned around to face Harry with a smile plastered to her lips.

* * *

_ "Professor, Potter's needle has come to life", smirked Malfoy._

Never had Harry performed badly in any Transfiguration class but now seemed a complete exception. He tried to pick up his needle now lying on his desk and to his great surprise, it poked him in his finger.

"OUCH!"

"Potter? ... You got it all wrong ... Well, try once again", even Professor McGonagall seemed surprised. Harry muttered the charm and tapped the needle exactly as McGonagall had demonstrated but for the fourth time he couldn't transform his needle into a long walking stick. Even Neville had managed a half needle - half stick. His fully complete homework did nothing to assuage his anger, neither did Malfoy's snide remarks. He slipped out of class avoiding McGonagall's eyes and decided to see Hagrid. He decided to go alone, knowing that Hermione and Ron would be _busy_.

Once in the open ground, the sight of the Quidditch pitch ... the green scenery ... the cool wind of evening brushing past his face, flushed out all his anger and irritation. As he neared Hagrid's hut, many third years making their way back to the castle stared at him in awe. He simply ignored all of them and walked ahead.

"Hello 'arry", Hagrid's booming voice was enough to scare the living daylights out of the two remaining third years and Harry's morose nature out of him.

"Hi Hagrid".

"Cam' afer a long time. How's ya ches' doing?" said Hagrid now patting Buckbeak who having noticed Harry was making soft purring noises.

"Fine. I just wanted to see you", said Harry truthfully.

Hagrid's smile stretched so wide that it could even be seen under the thicket of hair that made up his moustache and beard. Buckbeak trilled and purred more loudly.

"Good ya did an' Beaky wans you ta ride on him" Hagrid called out to the two students, "Here Harry will show you".

Harry, who had been smirking at the thought of riding a Hippogriff for detention, stared at Hagrid even as the latter pushed him towards a excitable Buckbeak. He looked at the bird, bowed then mounted it. After a few seconds, Harry was back on the ground after a short flight.

"Thanks H-Professor, can I ride him later?" He motioned the stunned boys to go on.

"No Harry th-". Hagrid stared in surprise as one of the two third years looked at him and proceeded to mount Buckbeak. The boy rode well, his friend followed.

"Excellent both of ya, go to the castl-", Hagrid was interrupted by a trilling Buckbeak again. "Beaky wants ya to ride aga'n", Hagrid's eyes were round as saucers. Seeing Harry hesitate, he said softly, "Beaky's missin Sirius too but he seems to like ya".

Harry looked at the bird deeply. It seemed to understand his feelings, or maybe he was just imagining. Any way he was about to mount it when a shrill voice echoed in his head, _"Harry, it isn't safe, you could always hold onto a broom ..."_ He smiled and promising that he would be careful, mounted the hippogriff.

Seconds later Buckbeak and Harry were flying over the castle grounds ... by the castle walls ... the Quidditch Stadium, Harry maneuvered Buckbeak imagining Hermione and Ron cheering for him ... he dodging a rogue Bludger ... and a searing pain rent his scar.

Instinctively, Harry pressed himself close to the bird's back and coaxed it to land near Hagrid. Even as Buckbeak retraced the short path to Hagrid, the pain in his scar increased further. The huge castle in front of him was getting blurrier, something more familiar was replacing it ... Harry concentrated all his thoughts and sight onto Hogwarts and coaxed the bird to go quicker ... more faster.

Buckbeak sensing something was wrong put on a huge burst of speed. The pain in his scar subsided as the bird's feet touched the ground. Harry should've been content of being alive but the vision - rather the feeling that he had was more troublesome. He patted Buckbeak, waved out to Hagrid and walked into the castle, trying to piece together what he had felt.

* * *

_Harry walked into the great hall and saw Malfoy sitting in a corner of the room talking with some awed looking fifth and fourth year Slytherins. There were quite a number of people around ... Neville and Ginny were talking a lot. Ginny didn't seem to be looking fine, Harry stood mum, feeling a bit sorry for her. After the declaration of Quidditch captain for Gryffindor, he had found that Ginny was keeping a rather low opinion of Ron._

"Harry, Did you tell Ginny something?"

Harry closed his eyes and opened them. Luna was real, so was her dreamy voice. He turned around and hitched a smile to his lips.

She said, "Ginny was crying for quite some time in Defense classes. If you don't want to tell me I won't mind".

"I told her to keep faith in her brother's qualities and stop underestimating him".

To his great surprise, she brightened up, "Very correct Harry, she never listened when I told her the same thing. I guess she is now. See you around". Harry was totally stumped for any answer, he cast a last look at the receding back of the phenomenon called Luna Lovegood (_talk about oddities_) and continued to Dumbledore's office shaking his head.

"Ah Harry, sit down".

Dumbledore surveyed him as he struggled to find words to begin.

"You fly very well even without a broom", chuckled the headmaster.

"Hagrid asked me to demonstrate", Harry couldn't stop blushing.

Dumbledore smiled and said, "I daresay the hippogriff has taken a liking to you" that left Harry completely bewildered.

"Chocolate Frog?"

Harry couldn't help but notice the logo of the Joke Shop (WWW) embossed onto the Frogs.

"Ah, our two delightful entrepreneurs put forth such a proposal that I had to agree".

Harry downed one quickly and replied, "I had another vision, Professor".

Dumbledore gently motioned him to begin.

"I was once again in Mungos, the door in front was labelled the SPECIAL WARD FOR WITCHES. A quick Silencing Charm after which, I walked inside it and saw three people, two women and one man lying asleep on a bed. There were two nurses in the room, one blonde.

Somehow, I happened to know that the three patients were Aurors. The blonde one referring to me as Smith replied definitively, "They are doing excellently, Mr. Smith. Just eight hours more".

I told her gravely, "Very good, Mr. Pye has called for you two and if I were in your place right now, I wouldn't keep him waiting". The two nurses nodded and turned".

Harry paused and said, "Just then I told Buckbeak urgently to get down to the ground quickly and couldn't see anything else". Dumbledore's face looked more older with the newer wrinkles that had made their appearance. However, Harry couldn't ascertain the reason for the almost mystic sparkle in the headmaster's eyes.

Just then a person knocked on the door and to Harry's great disdain, Snape entered.

"You called headmaster".

"Ah yes. Severus, sit down".

Snape's face oddly reminded Harry of the likely fate of his homework. He turned to look at the headmaster.

"Harry, would you send for Professor Lupin?"

He nodded and had barely got up when Snape said, "Potter, _Remedial Potions_ tomorrow 4'o clock in my office".

Harry nodded and walked out, slightly annoyed. For some reason, he felt rather hesitant in asking Dumbledore about Voldemort. Shrugging off his thoughts he made for the Great hall where he expected to find Ron and Hermione or Hermione atleast.

* * *

_Hermione and Ron were not to be seen still. However, he reluctantly sat down with Neville and Ginny._

For a while no one talked. Ginny muttered, "I'm sorry Harry".

He looked at her apologetically, he had spoken very coldly on knowing that she wanted him and not Ron to get the Captainship. Besides, it was McGonagall indifference towards Ron while entering their name that had got to his nerves, though at that time in her office, he hadn't displayed any of his emotions.

"I'm sorry too, I shouldn't have vented all my frustration on you". Harry noticed Neville struggling with himself.

Finally, Neville spoke out, "Harry, Ginny still likes you". He continued, "Do you fancy Ginny?"

Ginny blushed redder than a rose in full bloom, she glared at Neville hatefully, all the while avoiding Harry's eyes.

Harry looked at Ginny who was burning with shame. He liked her a lot, yes but was it similar to Cho? He tried probing deeper into his own feelings.

He had seen her only as Ron's sister and after fifth year as a good friend. Choosing his words carefully he replied, "I do like Ginny as a friend but I do not fancy her".

Neville's features relaxed. Ginny said cautiously, "You aren't angry with me Harry?"

Harry shook his head and looked at Neville tentatively. As if in confirmation Neville's cheeks turned slightly pink.

"This is great news, I bet Ron doesn't know. But how come you are going with Neville now?".

Ginny and Neville nodded sheepishly. Neville replied for her, "You see Harry, I asked her two days back".

Harry nodded and said, "By the way, where are Hermione and Ron".

Ginny giggled, "_Prefect duties_. You see they are more than ... friends now".

"Oh er-I think I'll complete my homework, see you two later".

Ginny giggled again, "Hermione said that you charmed a needle to come alive?"

Harry replied breezily, "er-Yet McGonagall didn't give me any marks". She laughed as Neville smiled at him. With that Harry made to his dorm puzzled at why he was feeling slightly angry with Hermione and Ron.

* * *

_Harry tossed his transfiguration homework into his bag where it fell soundlessly. Over a period of four hours he had managed to complete Transfiguration and Potions. His book for Healing was a bit inadequate, he would need to get a better one Hermione would have a better book._

_Now, it was time for dinner and Ron had yet not come back. A small wave of anger flowed through him but he suppressed it. Ron liked Hermione a lot and he (Harry) was just being jealous needlessly._

He had a quick dinner. Amazingly, Malfoy wasn't to be seen. He returned back to his common room trying to focus on the clues. However, he found himself thinking about Ron and Hermione intermittently. Later in the night, Ron entered the common room looking very tired.

"Ron, where in the world were you all this time?"

"Prefect duties and add to it McGonagall's _ briefing_ followed by discussion of tactics and maneuvers. What the heck of a day?" Ron flopped onto a bed looking very content.

Harry smirked, _"**Prefect duties** with ** Hermione**, I never knew it was so **interesting**"._ He had the satisfaction of seeing Ron blush deep red.

Ron replied, "Mate, I asked her for a date after all and you know what ... she agreed".

"Great! you have any plans?" Harry tried to stop his voice sounding hearty.

Ron looked at him for a while, "Nope, what do you say? you had Cho once didn't you?"

"I don't know Ron ... take her for a walk or something".

Ron's eyes brightened up, "Thanks mate, I knew I could count on you".

Seeing his friend's extremely happy face, Harry's irritation dissolved away_. _He walked out to the common room and took a seat in a corner pondering over the clues that he had obtained.

* * *

_Hermione walked down the girls dorm into the Gryffindor common room. Ron had just asked her out, she was wondering what he would talk ... Ron was very much funny and a nice person, she liked him too but what irked her more was that she had promised to talk to Harry later and forgotten all about it ... She hadn't talked with Harry for the whole evening ... he certainly had changed after last year .. he was studying more intensely for a start. As always, her thoughts finally rested on the prophecy._

_She had an idea which said that Harry knew about the prophecy. When she had asked him about the third year prophecy, his expression had become guarded. If she brought up the topic, he tended to excuse himself. Hermione muttered angrily, why didn't he just tell Ron at least? She knew it was eating him up from the inside ... add to it those accursed visions, which Harry wasn't talking about to anyone. She had but a general idea of what he could be feeling._

To her great surprise she found him sitting by the fireplace in deep thought.

"Harry?"

He jerked awake, "Hermione! You aren't asleep?"

She replied inquisitively, "Did you get any clues?"

He asserted wryly, "I saw another vision".

"Hey mate, Hermione!", Ron's voice echoed in the room. She called out to Ron and they bunched together.

Harry narrated all that he had seen.

Ron replied, "Voldemort's going to kill all those Aurors". Hermione shushed him, "He can't do it, that will simply attract attention".

Harry replied, "Hermione, this time I was a man, NOT a lady". She stared at him, "Harry, what does Dumbledore say?"

"Nothing".

Ron replied, "Hermione, Voldemort could take a lot of Ministry information and information on Azkaban from the Aurors".

Hermione smiled, "Ron, do you expect any person to know confidential information". Harry chiselled in, "Neville told me during Healing class that there are many Aurors holding important posts, in Mungos. His information cannot be wrong". She agreed.

Ron said, "Harry, Voldemort could have gotten ample information, why hasn't he attacked yet". Hermione replied, "Ron, there is someone giving away information to the Death Eaters too. It means he is planning something on a large scale. Considering his primary target is Azkaban, the two are very much related".

* * *

_Harry sat down and tried viewing the pieces of the puzzle together._

_First, there are two attacks on Mungos of all places. A congregation of Death Eaters is busted though many Muggles are killed. Voldemort waited for Rookwood. Malfoy murders an Order Member. Mungos double checked to no avail. A lady at Mungos then finally a mysterious man._

"Harry", Hermione's soft voice jerked him out of his thoughts. He realized that his fists were clenched so tightly that an impression of his nails was present on his palms. He had gritted his teeth to breaking point. 

Harry stared into the fireplace hoping Hermione wouldn't start asking all her questions again. She didn't. To his utmost irritation all that they were able to construct was that Voldemort was planning something from Mungos and he wanted the information for attacking the Ministry and Azkaban.

Harry replied, "Hermione, there is one last way we can use". She looked at him intensely.

"How will you do it, mate?"

He replied, "I'll relax and allow myself to drift into sleepiness, finally I'll get access to Voldemort's thoughts and the person he controls". Ron chose to keep mum.

"Harry, you mustn't force yourself to do that", replied Hermione.

He raised an eyebrow, "Hermione, I always see a vision when I am relaxed".

She asserted forcefully, "Don't do it Harry. What if Voldemort wants ... you to relax?"

Harry looked at her oddly, "Hermione, I had visions two times already and nothing has happened till date".

"Harry, don't do it. What if Voldemort possesses you? If he's waiting for it", her words were edged with fear.

"Hermione, he hasn't possessed me yet. Besides, I was in the same room as him last year".

"But what about Occlumency, it deals with absolute control of the mind. Harry you had more than four visions already-"

He cut her off feeling more angry, "-and Hermione, I repeat Voldemort hasn't possessed me even once during those visions. He could have easily done so-".

Hermione broke in disapprovingly, "- and he may do it now that he has done it once. At least, please don't do it till you have perfected Occlumency".

Harry stared at her in surprise, she was being unnecessarily persuasive. He decided not to do it and smiled, "Hermione, at that time I and Voldemort were in the same room no wonder he could possess me".

She for her part was getting irritated with his stubbornness, he had already got himself in trouble once, with all of them. She repeated pleadingly, "Voldemort has regained his power now and he may try to do it again, so please **- please **don't try anything ... like that".

Harry's mouth dropped open, as what she was saying hit him hard. He lowered his gaze to the floor lost for words. As her words washed over him, the guilt of last year began burning him slowly. He barely managed to contain himself as he perceived his guilt slowly and steadily spread through his body like poison, choking him.

Harry stood up shakily mumbled a 'good night' and walked away to his dorm, focusing himself on the exit to the Common Room.

"Very good, Hermione", hissed Ron angrily. She kept silent.

"Why did you have to remind him again? Couldn't you have kept quiet".

Still looking at the doorway through which Harry had gone she said quietly, "and see him repent for another of his mistakes?"

He replied furiously, "Come on Hermione, don't be illogical". He had touched a nerve.

She turned around angrily and half shouted, "FINE he has already got himself nearly killed once. If Ginny or Neville were dead what would have Harry done then? What would YOU have done then? I'm going to sleep, Goodnight. Fuming, she stalked off to her dorm not casting another look behind.

Even as she pulled out her Potions homework, such a powerful sense of foreboding overcame her that she decided to talk to Harry. Understanding how he could be feeling, she decided to talk to him first thing next day. _"After all even Harry couldn't do without sleep and while asleep, people usually relaxed"_.

* * *

_The sun had set long back. It was now ten thirty in the night, Dean and Seamus were surprisingly fast asleep, Neville wished him a good night and followed suit. Harry dropped into his bed unable to shut out all those dreams which had become regular visitors. He pulled down the hangings around his bed and stared into space, Hermione had reminded him after all. He had decided against seeing the vision in between but she had continued unnecessarily. A small bout of fury flared up in his chest._

_"She didn't have to remind me, I know that she would have been killed", he thought angrily._

_"Still, instead of agreeing, you chose to continue her argument", his mind chided him._

_His anger vanished at once. Harry turned over in his bed, Ron and Hermione were nearly killed last year and he had expected nothing less than insults from the Grangers. However, to his relief Hermione hadn't been transferred to some other schools. Neville had to meet Bellatrix again, Lestrange would have enjoyed killing him. Harry clasped the bedcover tightly, he should have listened to Hermione. Finally, as punishment he had lost Sirius. Harry sat up in bed unable to sleep anymore. As Ron entered the room Harry lay down pretending to be fast asleep, thankfully Ron didn't interrupt him._

Harry stared at the ceiling for a long time. His scar itched continuously, the mind link with Voldemort was getting clearer _... He walked along the corridors and entered the same SPECIAL WARD but for WIZARDS, an Auror opened it and ... _Harry shook himself, he wouldn't drift off, he would listen to Hermione this time.

_"But I have to sleep finally", he smirked at the irony in her statement._

Finally, at eleven he managed to sleep. All his nightmares came back, Cedric Diggory ... Sirius ... Ron with the brain clamped on his head ... _A smart young man was talking to him ..._

Harry twisted and turned in his sleep.

* * *

Exactly at twelve, a long, sorrowful wail erupted in the dorm where Ron was sleeping, resounding eerily around the room. Even the paintings on the wall woke up in horror. Neville jerked and slipped from his bed to the floor to cause a loud THUMP, Ron, Dean and Seamus woke up with a start their hearts beating very quickly. Ron's head automatically turned towards Harry who was writhing, twisting on his bed. 

He felt himself unable to move a millimeter as Harry's wail increased to such a pitch that cold fear surging through his body and mind paralyzed him completely.

"smonecallmcgongal", Neville squeaked inaudibly. He had clutched his bedsheet so tightly that it had torn where his grip was. Harry gave another heart rendering scream and rolled over the bed right onto the adjoining closet with a crash. The four swayed in their spots.

Regaining his senses, Ron yelled out, "Seamus call McGonagall, tell her Harry's getting another nightmare ..." Harry rolled over screaming and flailing and rammed directly into the wall. "... and tell her to GET BACK DOUBLE QUICK, **GO NOW**". He ran over to Harry and tried to wake him, one powerful kick on his chest sent him careening onto his own bed.

Dean finding Seamus frigid with fear dashed off to the deputy headmistress's office.

Ron and Neville tried in vain to catch hold of Harry, they tried yelling but Harry gave another fearful scream and knocked over the closet with a violent kick, hearing which Neville's legs buckled and he sank to the floor. Ron took out his wand and yelled an 'Accio' just as the vase over the closet stopped in midair inches over Harry's eyes and flew to his outstretched hand.

Harry screamed something again and waved off something in front. Ron could make neither head nor tail of it. He began pulling the bed away from his friend and winced as he heard Harry's arm hit the opposite side of the bed. He shouted angrily, "Don't stand there Seamus, help me to pull this away".

Seamus still stricken with fear, nodded haphazardly and Neville joined in too, even as Harry unintentionally clobbered himself by intermittently barreling onto the bed's edges and the wall. Ron hoped Dean would stop loitering around and bring McGonagall quickly, and this nightmare would end.

Seven minutes later which seemed like an hour, Harry had cuts over his arms and legs from hitting the closet, wall and bed. Ron, Seamus and Neville had cleared off a portion of the room and the Head Boy had come down to investigate, who Ron and Seamus ordered to **call McGonagall**, even as Harry's screams and cries didn't stop. To their relief McGonagall turned around the corner and made for them very fast.

McGonagall hurriedly walked in and stared at the boy-who-lived, Ron's eyes widened as Dumbledore followed shortly, looking grave himself. A loud _crack! _occured as a shelf had one of its legs knocked off by Harry's wild punch a louder wail and a jumble of words followed which had Neville sitting beside Harry, cupping his ears to cut off the din. Thankfully, Dean had shut the door just sometime back. Nobody even noticed the portraits welcoming the headmaster into the room.

"Neville what the hell are you doing?" yelled Ron. Neville shakily walked back to the headmaster and replied, "P-P-Professor he is-s s-saying s-something, I c-couldn't hear p-pp-properly, it is something like 'excpep - I mean 'excep-pt p-plutonium'". Ron glared at him and looked at the headmaster who was doing some quick thinking.

Dumbledore replied, "Mr. Longbottom, go and wake up Madam Pomfrey. Tell her to give a bottle of Dreamless Sleep Potion". Neville stared at the headmaster but nodded and ran shakily all the way to the infirmary.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM", a silver phoenix shot out of Dumbledore's wand and flew in and out of Harry. McGonagall did the same. Ron and Seamus followed suit. Seamus couldn't manage it but Ron did fare better on his third attempt, a wisp of bodiless smoke flew onto Harry and remained there for a considerable amount of time. To his great relief, Harry didn't shout and yell anymore but was reduced to twitching and struggling on the floor, temporarily. The Head Boy who everybody seemed to have forgotten about, looked on in total surprise.

Dumbledore nor McGonagall talked, neither did Seamus or Ron. Though Ron's strength was draining slowly, he understood that every moment his Patronus was on, the better his friend would feel. Looking around he saw the portraits, some looking on in shock, others completely nonplussed.

"Professssor ... I ... ggotit", Neville came in completely out of breath. To his surprise, McGonagall put a binding curse on Harry and told him to pour a few drops down Harry's throat.

"Professor!"

Dumbledore spoke up, "Your friend will be excused from classes for some time".

"What do you mean, sir?", asked Ron, worry overriding his commonsense.

McGonagall replied irritably, "Mr. Longbottom do it quickly and Mr. Weasley, your headmaster meant that Potter would be in the infirmary till he decides to get up".

After some trying seconds Neville managed to pour a few drops into Harry's mouth and he stepped back. To everybody's relief Harry dropped into a deep soundless slumber.

Dumbledore pointed his wand at Harry and then Ron blinked, his friend had vanished. The two Patronuses vanished too. Ron was only to happy to revoke his Patronus Charm. He slumped weakly onto his bed, strength almost nullified.

The headmaster spoke up, "All the students in this room, I shall ask you not to discuss about this incident to anyone and not to even bring it up in any conversation, unless Harry desires so".

The four and the Head Boy nodded dazedly, Neville asked in a small voice still shaky, "P-Professor, when shall H-Harry get-t-t up?"

"I would say that Madam Pomfrey is better equipped to answer your question. You all had better return to your sleep, there is nothing you can do". The four returned nods of assurance and went back to their sleep, in truth wondering what had actually happened.

"What the heck was that?" whispered Dean. Neville shrugged. Ron stared at Harry's bed, his friend had never got so violent before. Seamus seemed to agree, "Boy, that was something, I doubt he gets up soon".

"But what the hell happened, was someone attacked again?"

Ron's stomach did a somersault as he processed what Dean had said. He decided to write home first thing tomorrow morning.

Neville was pale as chalk. Knowing about the nature of Harry's recent visions, he hoped his Grandma would reply immediately.

=================================================  
  
For next time:  
Harry re-instates his DA. Find out how Harry fares at Occlumency.  
Find out what Voldemort had actually planned. I doubt you could have guessed, you weren't supposed to actually. This was the first plot The Capture of Azkaban, the main plot starts in the next chap. The method used illustrates the ingenuity of Voldemort.  
  
More about Hermione and the 5th year prophecy.  



	11. The Second War Begins

**Disclaimer**: It is (unfortunately) only the plot that I have cooked up. All the rest ... belongs to JKR of course.

Flashback: Harry gets lodged into a vision from which he finds himself unable to snap out. Finally, Neville on Dumbledore's orders forces some drops of Dreamless Sleep Potion into Harry's mouth who falls into a deep peaceful sleep.

**Chapter 11**

_Later that day Hermione sat in the Common Room, checking her homework ... fifteen mistakes. She threw it into her bag unable to concentrate any further. The first page of the Daily Prophet published three days back, still lingered in her mind. As a matter-of-fact she remembered every word as clear as daylight._

_ST MUNGOS ATTACKED AGAIN  
YOU-KHOW-WHO CAPTURES AZKABAN_

_ In a bizarre twist to ongoing events, eighty Aurors lodged at St Mungos attacked the hospital. Ministry Aurors happened to reach on time and halt the proceedings but the damage was already done. The brief clash that ensued left sixty civilians and forty Aurors (all previously undergoing treatment at Mungos) dead. The remaining Aurors were brought under control. Though the Ministry has unsurprisingly refused to divulge any information, our sources indicate that the Imperious curse had been used to a great extent on the victims._

_ Meanwhile, doctors and nurses at Mungos claim that Carren Hayes had issued the Dark Mark. The management of St Mungos has fired Ms. Hayes but the lady tearfully insisted that she never issued the Dark Mark, she didn't even know how to. The staff of St Mungos do not seem to agree. "We do not need such traitors in our noble hospital. We all saw her do it", lashes out Mr. Pye._

_ Seeing that eighty Aurors had been put under the Imperious, could Ms. Hayes could have been possessed?_

_ Healer Jones whose area of expertise extends over Identifying Poisons and their Antidotes as well as Psychology agrees with us. With the Ministry maintaining tight lips, on whom can we depend on? This incident coupled with the elections coming in three days, could have a serious backlash on Mr. Fudge's position. Added to it the sighting of the Dark Mark in St. Mungos Muggle and a Muggle household not far from the Ministry has raised great alarm among the Muggles and Wizarding community alike, to be precise among the 'muggle witches and wizards'. The authority representing the Muggles has been notified ..._

_..._

..._ Shortly after this incident You-Know-Who acquired control of Azkaban. This insistent reporter managed to get information from a Ministry official stating that the spy had been planted in Mungos long ago, when? Mr. Fudge remains silent ..._

"Has Harry woken up?" she spoke automatically. It had become a sort of routine.

Ron sitting directly opposite to her shook his head glumly. She cast a look around, all the students were extremely worried. Many had not yet obtained replies from their respective homes. Some had gotten replies from their parents which were distressing enough. For every twelve students atleast one person had lost somebody they loved. On the whole the mood was rather stagnant. Nobody was interested in talking. Even the teachers had stopped pressing the students for homework two days back. Snape being an exception had loaded the with three days worth homework and had kept out of sight.

To add to her consternation, she remembered the evening that day which had overseen an extremely bitter encounter with Malfoy. Though she had disregarded his words, Ron and herself made it a point to meet Harry in the evening and afternoon. To her immense fear Harry hadn't even stirred. The whole of the first day had been irksome. Her parents hadn't replied then, Harry was in deep sleep, Ron had told her about the terrible incident which had occurred that night with Harry and she had been very stressed.

She even remembered the photos of the Longbottoms in the Daily Prophet on the second day after Azkaban had been taken. They had been placed under the Imperious too, though blissfully unaware of themselves. She cast a glance at the far end of the room, Ginny and Neville were still talking amongst themselves. Many of the patients had committed suicide in grief, on knowing what they had done. Under the influence of the Imperious, some had killed their own sons or daughters or friends ...

That fateful day onwards, nobody in the school had managed to sleep peacefully. Each of the students were stricken by insecurity, as the Return of the Dark Lord hit them hard.

The people's faith in the Ministry was crushed. What had followed had been phenomenal, Mr. Weasley overthrowing Fudge by a tremendous margin. _Serves Percy right_, _she thought._

Many students in the school had been affected too. Susan's Aunt was injured in the skirmish at Mungos and hadn't yet recovered fully. Neville had completely refused to acknowledge anybody for a whole day, even Mr. Lupin was uncharacteristically pale even though the full moon was two weeks away. The so-called congestion in the Floo Network and scarcity of owls had led to inability in communication yesterday. It had lead to a cataclysmic build up of tension in the students who refused to attend class at all.

She buried herself in her morose thoughts. Two students in Hufflepuff had lost both their parents, a Ravenclaw's brother was one of the persons put under the Imperious. Her thoughts switched back to Harry. he didn't even stir. He was still in the same position as before. She had noticed the flicker of worry cross Madam Pomfrey's eyes. That only served to make her and Ron more anxious. All, including the Head Boy, had been too preoccupied with their own well being to bother about Harry.

For that matter all the Weasleys were slightly worried too. Last year's incident had a bit dampened their faith in Harry. She couldn't disagree, Ron and Ginny could have died, herself included. She was stunned to realize that her parents had deliberately replied late to prevent her from undertaking such ventures again.

She sighed with resignation on reflecting whatever had happened after last year. The Weasleys were undoubtedly angry but Mrs. Weasley had taken out all her anger on Ron and Ginny for their stupidity of agreeing to those ridiculous demands made by Harry. Even her own parents had given her a nice tongue lashing ... not that she didn't deserve it. She knew, it was parental love speaking. But didn't she, Ginny and Ron love Harry too?

Harry during his brief stay in Grimmauld had not an inkling of all that had happened. No one reminded him at all. Further at that time, he had been in Mungos. It was the major part of the time in Grimmauld that left her completely depressed. And in school on that fateful night, she had to remind Harry again ... Hermione wrung her hands uncomfortably, hoping Harry would be off for the better.

Another surprise later, she had discovered that Neville had been enquiring about Harry regularly, accompanied twice by Dean and Seamus. Luna however wasn't to be seen for a long time. Hermione couldn't help but hope that she was doing well.

Malfoy's comments hung about her head every second. They only served to blank out all the light from an already dim horizon.

Today was the third day and still no Harry. Her parents were a bit more concerned ... more for her, the Weasley's were doing fine, now that Mr. Weasley was Minister of Magic. Harry had still not woken up. She turned in her chair uneasily. _Had Malfoy known all along?_

She hadn't noticed Neville and Ginny who had walked upto her. "H-Hermione, did H-Harry get up?" spluttered Neville his eyes very red. Ginny remained silent not knowing what to talk. Ron's stare directed into a non-existent void, didn't even budge.  
"No ... Neville".

Neville looked at her for a while then got up for the door. "Where are you going?" Ginny asked the question for Hermione. "To the infirmary. Are you coming?" was the reply. Ginny looked at Hermione and Ron. The four of them made for the infirmary. Harry wasn't there.

"He's not here!" Ron's voice held a mixture of jubilation and apprehension as well. They cast looks around the room desperately, as if expecting Harry to be hidden under some bed or in a cupboard.  
"There isn't Madam Pomfrey either", commented Ginny still eyeing the place futilely. They walked out for the Great Hall, in a confused state of mind hoping that Harry was alright.

"Searching for your boyfriend er-friend, Mudblood?". Ron's hands curled into fists. He returned a sharp reply, "Get **lost** Malfoy".

"With your astonishingly low intelligence Weasel, I doubted you could ever figure it out ... _Longbottom_ must surely know where Potty has gone". Ginny and Hermione whipped out their wands. Neville took four steps forward as Malfoy's lips curled.  
Ron covered the distance between him and Malfoy in three casual strides. _One bloody punch and the git would be a thing of the past_.

Malfoy coolly smirked at the four of them, patted his prefect badge and walked away with his thugs before Ron could begin.

"How did the slimy git become a prefect?" yelled Ron. Ginny simply glared at the receding back of Malfoy. Hermione however remained absently looking at Neville. Exchanging no words at all, they made for DADA classes, Ginny branched out for Arithmancy.

Hermione, Ron and Neville made for class silently, for Malfoy's words dangled dangerously in their thoughts.

* * *

_Harry finally succumbed to the mesmerizing calls of sleep late in the night. Even as he dreaded the encompassing relaxation, dreams flooded his thoughts. He recollected the first lesson on handling the wand, with Tonks at Grimmauld Place ... his first encounter with a very shabby Lupin while fighting off a Boggart-Dementor way back in third year ... the talk he had with Sirius and Remus after using Umbridge's fireplace last year ..._

_Four people clothed in white robes sleeping in front of him. Harry cast a look around._

_The room that he was in contained seven beds, the type of which one would see in a hospital. Three windows replete with white curtains gave him exquisite views of the houses and streets outside. His eyes meticulously taking in the surroundings came to rest on the bottles of Potion placed on a small table in the centre of the room. He was once again in Mungos._

_He sensed himself adjusting his clothes. The door locked itself with one wave of his wand. Another wave and a Silencing Charm descended around the room._

_ He took a seat by the solitary table in the small room and tapped his wand on it. All the time Harry had an odd but familiar sensation of his skin being too soft and smooth this time again. However, he noticed that the four Aurors were no longer asleep but standing in all alertness. Surprisingly, they bowed respectfully._

_A feeling of intense hatred and grim satisfaction not at all his own, rose within him at the sight of Frank Longbottom. A high cold voice ordered him to talk to Longbottom. Harry sensed another person not himself again, give in to the demand._

_ It was possibly due to the two visions that he had witnessed already that Harry realized he was again eavesdropping on a conversation between two people. The issuer of the Imperious and its victim. He assumed he was presently seeing through the victim's eyes. HOW was the question._

_ Affirming his assumption, a spiteful feminine voice originated from his mouth, "Longbottom, I expect you and your wife to be swift ... as before". Harry's face contorted into a sneer. The person addressed showed some signs of relenting but the Auror standing just beside Longbottom cast an Imperious that cleared all his doubts. Something about the Auror who had just placed Longbottom under the Imperious seemed familiar to him._

_Harry walked out of the room after an instantaneous ticklish sensation spread over his body. He fixed his stare on a doctor approaching from the other side. He could sense a faint feeling of recognition that told him Kingsley was enshrouded behind the doctor's garb._

_Seeing Harry, Kingsley took a place adjacent to him looking utterly serious._

_The same feminine voice issuing from somewhere near Harry's mouth said in all seriousness, "Lockhart's overly keen on giving me his autographs-' Harry removed a pack of photos signed in curly writing from his pocket '-This is the thirtieth one today, I bet there is something definitely wrong there". Kingsley blanched for a while. A smirk gradually plastered itself across his lips. He mouthed w-r-o-n-g, pointed to his head and walked away, wearing a small smile._

_Harry turned away impassively and found himself looking into a parchment held in his hand and ticked off SPECIAL WARD for WITCHES, fourth floor. Minutes later found himself walking into the SPECIAL WARD FOR WITCHES on the fourth floor. Alice Longbottom would lead the female assault. Entering the feminine ward, his eyes fell on three ladies chatting gibberish with each other, patients that they were. His focus shifted to the third person. Another spark of emotion within him said that she was an 'exception'._

_The lady got up, introduced herself as Mary (she didn't give her last name) and asked, "So miss what would your name be?"_

_ An order issued in his mind, authority lacing each syllable. To his surprise he discovered a number of thoughts flooding his head, accompanied by a strong feeling of rebelliousness. The order was issued with a more forceful intensity to it for a second time. All the thoughts and the feeling that had spread through him vanished._

_ A feminine voice emanated from his mouth, "Alice introduce me to your friend". Hearing it, a faint sense of familiarity hit Harry but he couldn't put his finger on exactly whose it could be._

_Coming forward, Alice Longbottom nodded to her other companion and one Imperious later, Mary bowed to him._

_Harry's line of sight shifted towards the only Longbottom in the room. "Your husband was most eager to lead, I would expect the same from you. I will call soon ... very soon", uttered the same cold feminine voice. After the ticklish feeling a second time, he walked out pulling over new robes over him conjured out of thin air and set out to find other rooms where more Aurors would serve his purpose._

_Ten minutes later Harry found himself strolling along the corridors and the staircase leading to the ground floor. Another fifteen people had been put under the Imperious._

Harry never realized that he was losing himself in the vision, which Hermione had so ardently advised him against.

_He continued further into one of the staff rooms. Some of the nurses seemed to recognize his appearance.__ One of the younger witches called out jokingly, "Hey Carren come and write yourself off before the Death Eaters pay a visit again"._

_He smirked and made a motion in the air. The same familiar feminine voice issuing from his mouth whispered, "MORSMORDRE"._

_A tiny wisp of smoke channeled out of his wand morphed into a large dark serpent tongued colossal skull. As he waved his wand upwards, the brownish green Dark Mark now growing in size rose into the air, as all the doctors and nurses in the room around him froze in their activities, their eyes latched onto it. Harry felt a feeling of deep satisfaction wash over him as an invisible blanket of horror and fear descended on the people in his vicinity. He sensed his face contort into an inherently evil smirk even as the staff members weakly dropped to the floor still gazing at the Dark Mark in shock. He turned around for the door._

_Another thought passed his head, much more persuasive and authoritative. "Excellent, Bellatrix awaits you in 'The Backyard'". Harry hesitated but then somebody else's thoughts (which he recognised as those of the person possessed) masked out his own. "Yes master", came the reply from his own mouth._

_Footsteps sounded behind the door to the staff room. Kingsley and Moody appeared in front of him wands right in front, their faces bearing identical looks of fear and immense disbelief._

_The same feminine voice coming from his mouth hissed, "The Dark Lord shall bless you soon"._

_As if on cue, loud screams rent the air and Harry heard an explosion. Tiny fragments of wood entered the staff room through the door. Running outside, Kingsley and Moody discovered Frank Longbottom emerging from one of the wards, the door to which had been smashed into pieces. To add to their growing dilemma forty patients (all of them Aurors) followed Longbottom. Before Moody could react, seven more doors were blown open and many ladies hurtles out following Alice Longbottom. Someone shrieked, "Enemies of the Dark Lord beware"._

_Kingsley and Moody looked at each other, horrified looks plastered to their faces, muttered "Tonks!!" and disapparated instantly even as Harry saw the patients (under the Imperious) unleash a plethora of lethal spells and curses. Next Harry found himself in a totally secluded place whose environment seemed to hold nothing but darkness. Another spark of recognition in his head told him this place was 'The Backyard'._

_Azkaban could be infiltrated into from this place situated on a higher elevation. He felt a detached feeling of unfathomable happiness wash over him. All his faithful Death Eaters would now be free and the whole world would bow to him ... in time. As this thought entered his mind, Harry felt a pang of anger in addition to his own hatred. The person under Voldemort's Imperious was clearly fighting it._

_Walking into a clearing, he saw Lord Voldemort in the eye, flanked by his Death Eaters looking directly at him. An intense burning sensation spread through himself. The Dark Lord waved his wand and a flurry of shapes resulted._

_Harry twirled his wand, now seeing from the eyes of the Dark Lord. He cast a uncaring but calculative look at Tonks who had been under his possession for a long time. She still in a daze, held her head between her palms trying to regain her focus. After taking in the situation she was in, she whipped out her wand, a mixture of hatred and anger reflected in her dark twinkling eyes . Harry simply motioned to one of the Death Eaters with his wand hand. The Death Eater hesitated for an instant but obliged. One Imperious later, Nymphadora Tonks bowed obediently._

_His__ view moved slowly and gradually came to rest on Azkaban. A loud cruel laugh emanating from his mouth resounded eerily in the distance. He felt satisfied with the outcome of his plans.  
"While Dumbledore and the chumps at the Ministry would rummage in Mungos, Azkaban would be mine", this solitary thought floated though his mind._

_As testament to that statement, Harry saw a medium sized convoy of Aurors leave for Mungos in the distance. His face contorted into a malicious smile. A hundred Death Eaters following forty five Giants, all led by Lucius Malfoy gatecrashed the wizard prison, as Harry lifted his hand._

_The operation was errorless and swift ... as in the old days. Harry smiled as all his faithful followers ... Avery ... Goyle ... Dolohov ... Mulciber ... Jugson ... immense joy creasing their faces knelt and kissed the helm of his robes. The defeated Aurors were handed over to the Dementors and for once Harry wished that they would be left alone. He sensed cold fury permeating all over him and he stopped in his tracks. All motion ceased at once. Only silence prevailed in the dark quarters of Azkaban._

_Harry motioned all the Death Eaters with a wave of his hand, to take their place. All of them obliged fearfully. A soul-scorching yell in the background interrupted the silence again following which Harry noted a Dementor perform its kiss on a captive Auror, in the darkened depths of Azkaban._

_A voice full of suppressed happiness, issued from somewhere near Harry's mouth. "Harry Potter is here". Some of the hooded figures exchanged glances. "Master?" asked a lady._

_"Yes Bella, he sees through my eyes. I can feel it". Harry sensed a sick feeling of satisfaction overcome him and the same voice replied softly, "All due to my **faithful** Death Eaters, the boy escaped from my hands for two times consecutively". Many of the Death Eaters shifted uncomfortably._

_"They have learned their lesson but have you Harry?"  
Harry's dormant anger now revitalized with the comment, automatically pulsed through his veins, forcing his hatred for Voldemort to the surface._

_The same voice devoid of any warmth whispered in mock concern, "You must learn soon ... You will". It turned serious again, "For five consecutive years, your luck saved you from death. I see you still do not fear Lord Voldemort, Harry. This year shall see otherwise. By its end, you will want to kill me by your hands. Why, with that very predictable passion of being a hero that you possess in abundance, I say you would walk to me, hoping to kill me with your bare hands. I promise"._

_He chuckled and the voice grew dangerously soft, "As for tonight, you have been listening continuously for the past half hour to proceedings that never concerned you. But for you my plans could have been in danger of failure. Lord Voldemort has no place for failure. Considering your seemingly inexorable habit of 'poking your nose in the most unlikeliest of places' as Severus puts it, I have just the right antidote"._

_The vision grew crystal clear as a feeling of forced relaxation passed through him._

_"Macnair ask that Dementor to come here"._

_Harry pictured his mother dying, even as he noted a Dementor coming nearer out of the corner of his eyes. The same voice ordered the Dementor to see into his eyes and suck in all memories that it could get. He fought to block the thoughts out of his mind but then the Dementor lowered its hood and his eyes took in what could be called the face of the Dementor. A great rush of cold air burst forth his mind purging out every good thought and Hundreds of memories burst forth, each more worse than the other._

_His father fighting a losing battle with Voldemort courageously ... his mother pleading with Voldemort not to kill Harry before being killed herself ... A motionless Cedric lying spread eagled on the ground ... a stunned Sirius falling through the veil taking with him Harry's love... the infant struggling between life and death at Bracknell ... the recent attack of Mungos headed by Longbottom ... Mrs. Black screaming at him all insults that she could muster ...a motherly voice discussing him with some disapproval, back in Grimmauld ...Tonks put under the Imperious ..._

_Everything followed in a rush and Harry screamed in agony as each thought, some of which he had never seen before, consuming him burned him inside out. Neither was the Patronus charm proving helpful ..._

_To add to his infliction, a seemingly omnipresent cold, cruel laugh replete of uncensored vile happiness resounded viciously throughout his head, enjoying every moment of his torment._

He opened his eyes and shot up to a sitting posture unsteadily, taking deep irregular breaths. The first thing he registered was the darkness and the sinister echoes of his own labored breathing. Looking around he found bottles containing Potion, bowls, spoons and a wand on a tiny table just beside his bed. He closed his eyes and opened them slowly. As the dim outlines of beds, the sleeping pictures on the walls came into focus, he realized that he was in the Hogwarts infirmary, alone. With some difficulty he managed to note the faint outline of the window that showcased the dark grounds. The sun had not yet risen.

Sounds of footsteps resounded in the hallway and he could barely make out two people conversing in low voices. He regulated his breathing and focused onto the dimly lit entrance. Minutes later Madam Pomfrey stepped in, a bottle in hand. On seeing him sitting in the bed she exclaimed hoarsely, "Thank Merlin, you - you should relax now, this Pot-".

"Voldemort (she winced and shuddered horribly. The bottle slipped from her hands and splintered itself on the hard stone floor) has attacked Azkaban", still shaky he stubbornly made to get out of the bed.

She reflexively countered his attempt and muttered, "It is too late in the night, you ought to sleep now". He jumped out of her way and steadied himself. His heart was beating a trifle quickly but he didn't care.

"I need to tell Dumbledore, this is urgent". At that moment, McGonagall entered the room expectantly and Harry saw her tense features relax considerably.  
"Potter, you are supposed to be resting", she was concerned, the tone of her voice said so.

He began, "Professor McGonagall, I need to talk to Dumbledore right now". A short silence occurred.

"I must say, you have quite a bit to catch up with. The headmaster has left for other important work. Since it is too early in the morning, you will rest here. If Madam Pomfrey permits, you may meet your friends later in the afternoon".

"I am doing great, I can go now". Harry cast a pleading look at the matron. Madam Pomfrey simply shrugged, she seemed to have lost her ability to talk.

Professor McGonagall looked at him for a while, "In that case, Potter first we go to my office". She increased her pace. He silently followed suit.

* * *

_Harry walked down the corridors from McGonagall's office to his DADA class, unaware of the constant mutterings of the portraits. _ Unlike Ron and Hermione, he didn't yet know about how the Weasleys and Grangers had reacted. He was still pondering over his nightmare and all that McGonagall had told him (he wondered whether Dumbledore had asked her to tell him).

It had been a great shock to learn of all the things that had happened!   
Still in a half-daze he continued to the DADA class. A powerful surge of anger rose in him as he saw Tonks holding her head in a daze, in his mind's eyes. Voldemort had used **her** to kill innocent people.

Feeling a sudden unbidden upsurge of affection, he childishly hoped she would somehow escape safely and cursed himself for not realizing it before. _"Dumbledore would surely get her out"_, he reassured himself uselessly. He would know how she felt. After all, he himself was responsible for his own godfather's death and could have been for some of his own friends too. The deep well of grief churned within him, making him feel only more miserable.

Somewhere deeper within, Harry felt more uneasy thinking of Dumbledore. The headmaster was too busy with Ministerial matters, even to attend Hogwarts.  
In addition to the school, Dumbledore was handling the Ministry, the Order and Voldemort. Overlooking all that Dumbledore had done for Harry and other people, Harry had made a complete mess of the headmaster's office last year. He had, going one step further even yelled his heart out.

A feeling of shame coursed its way through him. Harry decided to apologize as soon as he could. Another pang of longing hit him as he realized that he may not get to see his aunt again (though he didn't mind not seeing his uncle anyway). Though, he couldn't still help but wonder why his Aunt had an abrupt change of heart.

Harry thought of the meeting with his Aunt at Mungos, then at Privet Drive. Though she had been less cold, she had nevertheless been an improvement. For the first time he unconsciously found himself desperate and truly wishing to be back at Privet Drive.

Harry made his way into DADA class struggling with the variety of emotions running though him, vying with each other to gently prise him apart. Taking his usual place in the corner row, he had barely rested his head on the table when-

"H-Harry. HARRY! ITS -RON! HE'S HERE".

He looked up and barely caught a glimpse of his two best friends. Hermione was beside him the next instant and he had his arms pinned to his side as her arms enveloped him in a massive hug.

"Harry", she repeated softly before hugging him again. He wondered whether he had just seen tears begin to form in her deep brown eyes.

"Mate ... mate", was all Ron could muster. Nobody spoke for a while. Harry saw a very bedraggled looking Neville enter the room. On meeting his eyes, the change in Neville's demeanor was quite drastic.

"H-Harry, are you fine?" Neville choked out, relief evident in his voice but for the fact that it was almost inaudible.  
"I suppose so".

They sat and discussed about school and what had happened that night. Harry carefully avoided their eyes while maintaining a conversation. To his relief, they didn't notice it at all.

Some of Ron's lost enthusiasm seemed to have made a dramatic comeback, "Mate, that night was refreshing in one way at least. Boy, you should have seen the portraits. I gather The Fat Lady lost most of her weight that night. As for Sir Cadogen, he jumped a foot sitting on his horse and fell off right into the mud. To add to his ... honour, his frightened steed unburdened herself right on him. Harry, I think we don't **ever** have to worry about him ... for ever". Ron grinned. "As for me I managed a smoke of a Patronus, more of a surprise anyway. As for Davies ... his lower jaw was almost touching the ground".

"Davies?"  
"Yeah, Roger Davies-' Harry faintly recollected his date (rather fiasco) with Cho at Madam Puddifoot's '- He heard your yell during his patrol" -Neville shuddered quietly- "He's Head Boy now".

Harry spoke quickly hoping to counter his embarrassment "uh- Ron, who's Head Girl?"  
Hermione answered shortly, "Cho".

Harry couldn't speak. He was busy staring at the wall, Roger Davies would surely tell her.  
Ron interpreting his thoughts correctly, replied, "No one except Hermione and Ginny know".

Harry looked at Ron, a blank expression on his face. He turned away, embarrassment and anger beginning to seep through him steadily. Dean, Seamus, Neville, Ron, Ginny and Hermione knew about what happened was a bit unsettling. He could almost picture the stupid expression on Davies face. _If Cho ever knew about what had happened, added to the stupid comments made last year by the Daily Prophet_ ... 

He sat down silently and opened a book not at all wanting to look at anyone, anymore. A tense silence followed broken only by the resounding footsteps of the steady stream of students entering class.

* * *

"Harry", spoke Hermione tentatively. She placed her book down on the grass.

Neville, Ginny, Harry, Hermione and Ron were relaxing by the pond, basking in the cool shade of the couple of tall trees decorating its fringes. The late evening sun cast its rays that bounced off its surface giving it a silent, peaceful and calming effect that radiated into its surroundings. The grass on the ground seemed to dance with the cool breeze almost enchanted ...

Harry threw a tiny pebble into the pond.

"Wonder who did all the dirty work at Mungos. He ... she whoever ought to be put in Azkaban. Hundreds of people are killed because of that single person".

Harry remained silent. Hermione knew he had listened since the occasional sound of a pebble hitting the water had stopped. However there was something in the silence that unnerved her.

"That person ought to be loved, Hermione", came the answer after a while. Hermione's eyes widened. If she weren't mistaken, Harry sounded slightly philosophical.  
Ron's eyes shot open. He asked the obvious question, "Who was it mate?"

"Tonks", Harry's voice faltered and died.

"WHAT?" Ron had shot up into a sitting posture. Hermione stared at Harry in disbelief, hoping fervently that she had misheard him though she hadn't.  
"Tonks? But how?" that was all Hermione could manage. Evidently, the relationship she and Ginny had built up over the last year had left quite a deep impression on her.

Harry turned around heavily. "Hermione, Tonks is a Metamorphmagus". Hermione's mind clicked.

He continued solemnly, "Voldemort put her under an Imperious. He used her to control others in Mungos by using the Imperious".  
She replied looking puzzled, "But Harry, one person can control no more than another person directly".

Harry turned away unable to speak further, "Exactly, so Voldemort put her under the Imperious, she puts another person under the Imperious that is ... Neville ... your dad". Whatever color remained in Neville's face drained out steadily.

"An Imperious, has the property that the person at the top of the hierarchy can control the entire order but provided everybody in the order is submissive which Voldemort found it exceptionally difficult to control because I entered Tonks' mind last night. However, he had his plans. So, he ordered Tonks to complete a chain of subservient Aurors for a specific total".

As he related the episode omitting the Dementor part in the end, with his heart threatening to go to pieces, Neville, Ron, Ginny and Hermione listened in horrified attention.

"So, that miserable wretch wanted to simply kill every body in Mungos. He used the patients against us knowing that we couldn't attack them. How disgusting!", cried Ginny now overcome with tears. Hermione and Ron were too appalled to even speak.

Harry turned away, feeling the sudden unwelcome stinging of tears in his eyes once again as he gathered what McGonagall had told him in her office.

"Harry?" said Neville his voice almost choked with anger and shock, his own grief multiplied manifold by the episode Harry had recounted.  
"Ron, Hermione, Tonks is still under the Imperious cast by a Death Eater".

Neville though unable to comprehend this information stood up shakily and walked away unable to listen any further. Ginny couldn't even manage to stand.

"Mate!" exclaimed Ron in disbelief.  
"But what I don't get is how Voldemort could put Tonks under the Imperious? It doesn't fit, Harry" blurted Hermione angry in spite of herself. The sudden revulsion of knowing about Tonks' helpless traitorousness and the affection Hermione had begun to reserve for the Metamorphmagus had begun to clash painfully.

Harry lowered his gaze to the pond, a mixture of hatred and sadness coursing through him. "Hermione, this morning I asked Professor McGonagall to provide answers. She didn't relent"- He took a deep breath and went on -"The first two attacks were for infiltrating into Mungos. The second attempt was a diversion to get all Aurors stationed at Mungos. Rookwood was already implanted in the first attack. Before the second attack, Voldemort managed to find out that Tonks was taking turns as my guard".

He touched the water lovingly, a feeling of longing also prevalent in his soft touch. The water simply rippled and settled down.

He went on, his hatred for Voldemort had begun to rear its head steadily, "Bellatrix gave him information that Tonks possessed a unique ability. She could change her appearances at will and was an Auror as an added bonus. So Voldemort ordered the Death Eaters to attack Mungos first. Then Tonks would be compelled to report to duty. Meanwhile, he paid me a futile visit at Privet Drive" Harry smiled a hollow smile which disintegrated into nothingness.

"But the damage had been done. The Death Eaters planned to capture Tonks. However thanks to timely interruption by Kingsley and Mr. Weasley, the attempt was thwarted but she suffered from a fractured rib. However, she was admitted to Mungos under special care. Alongside myself. The ward was broken into by Rookwood and she was placed under the Imperious. Luckily, all of them managed to overlook the fact that I could be lodged at Mungos too". Harry dropped into silence, he could not talk anymore.

_All that time he had been seeing from Tonks' eyes no wonder the voice had been so familiar ... only if he had mentioned it to Dumbledore ... Tonks could've been with him, all those people wouldn't have died._ His hands curled into tight fists.

Ron's eyes perked up. He muttered, "Tonks had been asking about you quite a number of times, mate. So she was under the Imperious all the time!"

This statement fell on deaf ears as the flow of words from Harry's mouth went on unobstructed, "Further, to his profit he found that Tonks was not involved in the meetings to a large degree. So lesser was the chance of her getting suspected. So he used Leglimency through her to read minds. She read Remus's mind at Grimmauld Place. She asked him again during a broom ride about me. She had been asking about me for some time and everybody thought it was due the loss of ... of ...", Harry found himself unable to speak Sirius' name.

"And since Rookwood could not maintain his identity hidden, he transferred his captive to Voldemort, which was when you got that vision while returning from Hagrid!" exclaimed Hermione, white as chalk. "Thanks to Tonks' unique capability, she remained undetected and that bought _him_ some time". Harry nodded expressionlessly.

"And that is the same reason why Tonks will now be labelled a murderer for no mistake of hers. All thanks to Voldemort, Tonks will now be forced to do all that she doesn't want to, all that she doesn't need to".  
Harry had removed out his wand in a flash his gaze still fixed on the calm waters of the pond. All his affection for his lost godfather and his new found affection for Tonks transformed into anger.

To Ginny's surprise, Harry's wand had begun to sparkle and emission of fiery red sparks had begun at its end. She looked at Harry, so did Hermione and Ron.

"Hermione, a few moments earlier that night and Tonks would be with us. Those few moments and nobody would be dead. Those few moments could have helped a lot . He killed my parents, he caused my godfather to be branded a murderer, he killed my godfather, his death eaters severely incapacitated that child whose Muggle parents were tortured to death, he killed those Muggles for_ fun_... but he doesn't take Tonks. No I WONT LET HIM".

Harry was already on his feet. His anger had finally begun to consume him. He made off for the castle for the Room of Requirements, wand in hand not casting another look behind, the calls of his friends going in vain.

====================================================================

Finally the 11th chapter. So did U get what the plot actually is? Yes? State it in a review and I'll reply with the next chapter.

Thanks to the aggravating bother called _college_ and accompanying_ studies, assignments,_ I'll be updating less frequently (So much for the new year resolution, well I forgot the college also resolves to torture students with all such ridiculous stuff. Further I even forgot in my passion of writing HP ficcy that I am a student too).

However, that will CERTAINLY not deflect me from continuing this story. I WILL complete this story of course but though the coll. is a bother, I must make more room for accommodating my studies as they ARE important. Hope this reason quells your justified anger in my delay.

As for this chapter, **please** do send me reviews telling me about how you liked it? Does Tonks' absurd behaviour justify itself now? Any suggestions, ideas for future chapters? I'd love 2 know. Plz put it all in your valued review, I'll take a peek at it surely, once time permits.


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